


Make It Right

by Eden (kurokimio)



Category: Monsta X (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Tragedy, BTS Crime, BTS Crime AU, BTS Mafia AU, Blood and Violence, Bts mafia, Crime!AU, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Major Character Injury, Organized Crime, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Tragedy, Triggers, Unrequited Love, Violence, bts imagines, mafia!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2021-04-10
Packaged: 2021-04-18 02:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 63
Words: 175,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21773368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurokimio/pseuds/Eden
Summary: BTS Mafia!AU: "It's always darkest before the dawn..." It's a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character(s), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Original Female Character(s), Kim Seokjin | Jin & Original Female Character(s), Kim Taehyung | V/Original Female Character(s), Min Yoongi | Suga/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 85
Kudos: 74





	1. Prologue: Make It Right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [donutworry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutworry/gifts).

> This originally started out as my challenge for National Novel Writing Month (Nano Wrimo) for myself. I was in a bit of a slump, wanting to try and get back into my writing groove. The challenge spawned this series full of ups and downs, late nights and sobbing I wasn't prepared for. I hope you enjoy the story and bear with me. Read, review, and enjoy the ride. It's going to be a long one.

"I’ve grown a bit taller  
My voice has gotten a bit stronger..."

** _Ten Years Ago_**  
_Hwaseong – Gyeonggi Province_  
_South Korea_

_ The air was frigid and crisp. There was a feeling of absolute quiet across the vast expanse of tall reeds; half dead while others tried desperately to cling to what life remained in their roots. The occasional crunch of leaves and scuffle of rocks could be heard – ripping through the quiet as the afternoon sun soon sank into the horizon. More undergrowth was crushed underfoot, approaching a certain spot. A destination was set by those same sets of sounds; the distinct sound of sneakers trudging with a purpose but were in no hurry. _

_ A lone figure sat on a large rock near the Hwaseong Riverbank. One leg hung lazily off the edge, the other perched so that an elbow could rest along the knee. His blazer was loose, the tails fanning around his backside just where he sat. A cigarette poked from his full lips as the ember burned silently, flaring a bright orange when a sudden gust of wind would push against him. The sound of the brush being pushed aside began to grow louder but he made no move to face the direction of the noise. _

_ After all, he knew who was coming. _

_ “Namjoon-ah,” came a voice, familiar and deep. Namjoon craned his neck, the cigarette still hanging from his lips. Looking up at him from the ground, the person flashed him a half gummy smile. “You wanna start a fire?” _

_ Namjoon grinned. “Yoongi Hyung.” _

_ Reaching into the inside pocket of his blazer where a crumpled pack of cigarettes were hidden, he tossed them down to Yoongi and he caught them easily. Namjoon watched as the older man lit one of the smokes before clambering up onto the rock beside him. Yoongi handed the pack back to him, exhaling as he leaned back on his hands to look at the sky. _

_ “Those things are going to be the death of you one day,” came Hoseok’s voice from the tall reeds. _

_ They both turned to see Seokjin and Hoseok pushing the honey wheat stalks to the side as they looked up at them. _

_ Seokjin clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “**B**_**_oth_ ** _ of you.” _

_ Yoongi made a motion for the two of them to come join them on the rock. Namjoon opened and closed the lid of the Zippo lighter – the soft clinking sound a cadence that helped put him at ease. They clambered onto the rock, Seokjin choosing to stand as he turned his head in either direction – as if he were trying to spy something out. Namjoon caught Yoongi bumping Hoseok’s shoulder, holding the cigarette out to him and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the disgusted expression that painted Hoseok’s face – his dark fringe flying in every direction as he shook his head to decline. _

_ The conversation that bubbled between them was short-lived as another body burst through the reeds, looking winded and as though he’d just gotten finished with a track meet race. Namjoon raised a brow as Jimin’s hair clung to his semi-sweat soaked brow, his hand gripping tightly to his uniform jacket. Yoongi clicked his tongue repeatedly along the back of his teeth, cigarette moving up and down with the gesture. Namjoon was already putting his out on the edge of the rock. _

_ “Sorry I’m late, Hyungs!” _

_ “What took you so long?” Seokjin asked, though everyone knew that he wouldn’t really give Jimin grief about it. “We were waiting here forever.” _

_ Jimin’s smile fell a margin, worry lines creasing his brows. “W-What? Really?” _

_ Seokjin laughed as Hoseok elbowed him in the leg while casting Jimin a reassuring gaze. “We just got here. Don’t listen to him.” _

_ Relief washed over Jimin’s face just as Taehyung came strolling through the brush, bumping his shoulder into Jimin’s playfully. The two of them shared a smirk as Taehyung shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants. The stick of a lollipop poked out the corner of his mouth as he flashed his boxy smile to them; sandalwood tresses falling around his eyes. _

_ “What did I tell you about the sugar, Taehyung-ah?” chided Yoongi, taking a drag of his cigarette. Translucent smoke expelled from his nostrils as their eyes met. Taehyung’s smile dropped as he continued to suck on the candy. “You’re hyper enough without that shit.” _

_ Namjoon watched Taehyung’s boxy smile return almost instantly and he rolled his eyes. “It’s the only way I can stay awake in my classes these days.” _

_ “It’s luck that he’s made it this far,” said Jimin, sighing softly, “and he keeps bugging me to help him with homework all the time.” _

_ Taehyung pulled the sucker from his mouth, blowing a raspberry at Jimin. “I’m not even going to college. Why are they pushing me so hard?” He frowned. “It’s annoying.” _

_ The others cast a sidelong glance toward Namjoon and he shrugged, retrieving another cigarette from his jacket. Spinning the Zippo between his fingers, he lit the end and expelled a half sigh after the first drag. Out of everyone in the group, he was the only one who received a full sponsored scholarship to Seoul University. Like most post-graduate students from high school who were planning to attend college, they usually took a few months off before going to school. _

_ For a year, he’d moved away from Hwaseong and left the rural country life behind. He got to see Seoul in all its splendor and all its glory. There were good and bad things about the big city life. It was crowded, loud and smelled thick with smog. It was the odious stench of a thriving metropolis and where people cared more about themselves than each other. Money talked even more in the city than in the country and there were few people he could trust in the city. Not like in the countryside. Justice was practically laughable, and gangsters walked the streets proudly, as if the law couldn’t touch them. Usually because they couldn’t. _

_ It had been a disgusting year of solitude and study. _

_ He’d missed his brothers. _

_ “So Namjoon Hyung,” cut Taehyung’s voice through his thoughts, “why’d you call us out here anyway? Come to brag about city life to us ignorant country folks?” Even though he was smiling, Namjoon could hear the quiet bitterness nestled in the back of Taehyung’s words. _

_ Hoseok cut his eyes toward Taehyung and snapped his fingers at him. “Watch your damn mouth, Kim Taehyung.” _

_ Taehyung rocked back on his heels in the grass, a few pebbles crunching under his sneakers as he shrugged with his hands still in his pockets. “What?” he asked, closing his eyes as he sucked on his candy for a moment. “Figured he left for the big times and wasn’t planning on coming back. Who can blame him though, right?” His eyes reopened as he looked up at Namjoon just as a column of ash fell off the end of his cigarette. “I wouldn’t come back to this backwater town if I was him, either.” _

_ “Cut it out, Tae Hyung,” came a softer voice in the reeds. _

_ They all turned to see Jungkook appearing through the pale stalks. He looked tired, as if he’d been carrying the weight of their nation on his shoulders. But they all knew what the truth was. The duffel bag hanging from his shoulders as one of the straps of his overalls fell off his arm and the smudge of dirt on his cheek was proof enough. His face looked a little red and sweat dripped from his hair and chin, his work boots scuffing along the grass as he dropped the duffel at his feet – setting his white hardhat on top of it. _

_ “Namjoon Hyung didn’t come home to gloat.” Jungkook wiped a forearm across his forehead to rid it of the sweat. “Stop being an asshole.” _

_ Namjoon frowned, the image of Jungkook in his factory work clothes twisting something inside of his heart. His year in Seoul had opened his eyes to a reality he’d wished he’d remained ignorant to. He could have said fuck college and stayed in Hwaseong with his friends – with his brothers. Finding work in their little country town would have been easy for Namjoon and he could have been happy, blissfully ignorant to the truth of just how dirty the real world was. _

_ Call him selfish, but he didn’t want to leave his best friends behind while he suffered in silence alone. Would they understand him? Would they hear what he had to say? _

_ “Namjoon,” called Hoseok, bringing him back out of his thoughts; out of his own internal guilt. “Tell us what’s on your mind. Why did you want to meet?” _

_ He looked at all of them and they waited patiently to hear what he had to say. He didn’t just call them all up to hang out or talk about the good times. No. He came back because he wanted to ensure that his friends had a future, and a successful one at that. But it would mean dipping their hands into the dirt; to feel the grime under their fingernails. _

_ Not like farmers did, but the way that criminals lived and breathed. _

_ He jumped from his perch on the rock, picking up a flat river stone as he pulled one last drag from his cigarette. Namjoon reared back and slung the stone out into the river, all of them watching as it skipped along the dark pool’s surface before finally sinking down below and onto the riverbed. One by one, they all approached him – forming a semi-circle around his back. There was no turning back from this once he said what he had to say. They would either listen or cast him aside. He just prayed that it wouldn’t be the latter like he continued to fear. _

_ Spitting the butt of the cigarette out into the water, he turned to look at his friends – a wistful smirk forming on his face. _

_ “You guys wanna come to Seoul with me?” _


	2. Just One Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> donutworry: Chapter 1, you ask? Why, your wish is my command. *bows*

"Out of all those words I had to swallow  
because of the excuse of reality,  
I’ll pick one and tell it to you for sure..."

**_Present Day_ **  
_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _South Korea_

The nerves in Jungkook’s right fist tingled, his stance a picture-perfect representation of one who spent most of his life in brawls. There was a harsh scraping sound as his opponent’s shoulder slammed into the concrete. The spectators were small fry, standing on the sideline as they watched their senior attempt to go toe-to-toe with _ The Steel Claw _ of the _ Golden Jackals_. They’d all tried to convince him that it wasn’t a good idea. Jungkook’s reputation preceded him and despite his youthful appearance, he had nerves of steel. Just like his fists.

His opponent struggled to sit up. Jungkook knew he’d won the fight, but he refused to relax his stance. Until he was sure that the guy was going to concede, he was prepared to strike again, and he would do so with a quickness that none would be prepared to see. His breath puffed out softly in the cold warehouse, the oil drums aflame barely heating the large space the group occupied.

Yoongi moved to stand beside Jungkook and he could feel the muscle at the base of his neck tensing up slightly. His eyes never moved, however, as they were still trained on the fallen gang member.

When it was clear that his “prey” would not be getting back up for another round, Jungkook’s stance smoothed out and he stood like normal. The gang member coughed out blood, staining the gray concrete beneath them. Jungkook shook his right hand out to chase the tingling sensation from it. Yoongi placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, before moving to stand in front of him.

“How many times is it gonna take for you dogs to fucking get it?” Yoongi’s voice was cold and cruel. Even after all these years, Jungkook still wasn’t quite used to that sound. “Do we need to break all of your legs so you can go crawling back to your master? Hm?”

They all took a step back, the two who moved to help their senior back onto his feet freezing in their spots. Jungkook felt the muscle at his jaw tick, his brows furrowing harshly over his dark eyes. The thrill of the fight was over, and his adrenaline high was starting to come down, albeit slowly.

Yoongi cocked his head to the side, a distinctive _ crack _ sound resounding as he popped his neck. This caused a few to flinch and they shook their heads, realizing that they hadn’t answered his question. A scoffing sound huffed from Yoongi as Jungkook watched him shove his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so. Now fuck off.” He snapped his fingers at them before they could make another move. “And tell your boss that this is Jackal territory. If he sniffs around here again, I’m coming to take his bone out personally. Got it?”

They all nodded, hefting their senior and all but hightailing it out of the warehouse. Yoongi turned to Jungkook and the other members that they brought with them. Jutting his chin out toward them, they all straightened their backs. “You’re dismissed. Don’t go around getting into shit.”

“Yes Sir!” they said, bowing their heads low before quickly vacating the premises.

Jungkook remained, lifting a hand to rest his palm along the back of his neck. “…Hyung, I’m hungry.”

Yoongi grinned, a gesture he knew he reserved for those closest to him. He ruffled his hair like he was still a teenager, but Jungkook didn’t have the urge to protest against him. “Then let’s go eat. You’ve earned a free meal from your Hyung.”

Jungkook gave him a lopsided grin and nodded, allowing Yoongi to usher him out of the warehouse. He already knew that Yoongi was going to take them to a street food stall, but he didn’t mind. It wasn’t like Jungkook was a picky eater and he knew this particular food stall was a favorite of Yoongi’s as well.

It served lamb skewers.

The walk took about ten minutes, the two men not really indulging in any kind of conversation. It was typically like this after having to handle business. Jungkook didn’t care about the lack of chit-chat. A moment of silence, even amidst the busy Seoul streets, was welcome after having exerted himself. He made sure to match Yoongi’s pace, remaining at his side the entire way.

When they arrived, Yoongi ordered two bottles of soju, two bowls of jampong, an order of chicken feet, and six lamb skewers. The woman who owned the tent house greeted them warmly, telling them to sit anywhere and so they chose the usual table near the back. The plastic blue chairs were worn from use and the two of them fell into them easily. The soju was the first to arrive to their table, along with two shot glasses. Yoongi picked up Jungkook’s glass and began to pour for him.

“Hyung, wait —" Jungkook began to protest.

Yoongi sucked in air through his teeth before clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “When are you gonna quit actin’ up?”

Jungkook’s eyes lowered to the table. “Yoongi Hyung…”

He watched him finish pouring the soju into the shot glass before Yoongi moved to pour some into his own. “You’re a good kid, Jungkook-ah. Let your Hyung reward you every now and then, hm?”

He gave a slightly sheepish nod. He was twenty-seven now, but around the others Jungkook still felt like a kid. Not that he minded it too much. As the group’s _ maknae _ , it was expected. Even so, he sometimes wondered if he was a burden or if there was more he could be doing. Being the _ Steel Claw _ of their group had its merits and he’d certainly earned the title, but there were times when he wanted to do more but assumed it wasn’t his place to ask or even worry about such things.

“You’ve got that look on your face again.”

Jungkook’s head immediately lifted, his eyes meeting Yoongi’s as he watched the man raising the shot glass to his lips. Reaching out with both hands, he picked up his own glass of soju and turned away from the table to drink in tandem with him. Once finished, he placed the glass back on the table and had to resist protesting a second time when Yoongi began pouring him another shot. He curled his hands into fists at his knees instead.

“What look?”

Yoongi grinned at him from across the table as he finished pouring him another shot. “That ‘I don’t think I’m doing enough for my Hyungs’ look.” Jungkook blinked, watching as he tipped the shot back with ease while making a satisfied sound from the drink. Yoongi raised a brow at him. “After all these years, you’re still thinking like that, Jungkook?”

All Jungkook could do was sigh. It wasn’t like Yoongi was wrong and it shouldn’t have surprised him how observant he was. Yoongi was known for being able to spot things a mile away and this situation was no different, it seemed. He hung his head a little, both from shame and embarrassment. He hadn’t meant to have his feelings exposed so openly and he certainly hadn’t meant to cause any worry for any of his brothers.

Hands reached for the shot glass, cradling it between his fingers, but Jungkook made no move to drink. He heard the clink of glass to glass and he knew without looking that Yoongi was pouring again. The lady brought their food to the table, along with two steaming bowls of rice and a fresh pot of barley tea. She handed them their utensils and they thanked her while also saying they would enjoy the meal.

Out of habit, Jungkook waited for Yoongi to begin eating first before digging into his own food. The loud sounds of smacking and slurping were a momentary reprieve from the heaviness that had been hanging over the table just moments prior. But Jungkook knew that this conversation was far from over.

Yoongi set his chopsticks down so that he could pour himself a cup of tea. “You’re doing enough, Jungkook-ah.”

The spoonful of rice that he was about to shovel into his mouth hovered near his lips. His eyes widened slightly before he lowered the spoon back down to the bowl. “Hyung…”

“I mean it,” he reassured him, raising the steaming cup of tea to his face, “so stop looking like that. You’ve been way too hard on yourself these days.”

“It’s just that…” Jungkook paused, biting his lower lip as he contemplated whether he wanted to continue. Yoongi gave him a look, urging him to go ahead. “Well, Hoseok Hyung seems like he’s more stressed out than normal. Jin Hyung and Namjoon Hyung look just as on edge and —"

“Stop.” Yoongi interrupted him, holding a hand up. “Stop right there.”

“Huh?”

“That’s not anything you need to be worrying about.”

“But Hyung!”

Yoongi sucked in a harsh breath between his teeth, quickly silencing Jungkook. A handful of seconds passed between them before he continued. “The three of them are just trying to figure out the best way to expand our territory and wondering just how much danger they’re willing to put us in. But that’s to be expected, what with the amount of reach we’re wanting to gain.” Yoongi sighed, his expression relaxing a bit as he tried to ease Jungkook’s worries. “It’s something the three of them need to worry about. That’s their roles, alright? There’s no sense in you beating yourself up over something that isn’t your job in the first place.”

Jungkook remained silent, his brows knitting in concern.

“Trust your brothers, okay? What they decide on is almost always for the best.”

He nodded, resuming his meal. He hadn’t intended for the conversation to turn sour or even stressful. He knew that Yoongi had his own worries that he didn’t exactly voice, but he was better at keeping a level head than most of them. Even though they’d all grown up together, Yoongi was still the hardest to read. If an expression was readable, it was because Yoongi allowed it to show. Generally, though, he was seemingly impassive.

Jungkook admired that about Min Yoongi the most.

“So, how are things with that girl you’re talking to?”

A choking sound came from Jungkook in mid-sip of his tea. He stared at Yoongi with wide eyes. He watched him nonchalantly picking up one of the lamb skewers.

“W-What?”

Yoongi pulled off one of the pieces of lamb and chewed before pointing the end of the skewer at him. “You know,” he said with his mouth full, “the one called ‘Stubborn Tiger’ in your phone. You’re always texting and calling her.”

A lump formed in Jungkook’s throat and his mouth dried out almost instantly. He hadn’t realized he’d been that obvious. Nothing was solid yet and she was so damn stubborn. But so was Jungkook and he wasn’t about to give up when she got under his skin so thoroughly.

He coughed a few more times before setting his teacup down. “I mean, I dunno.” Jungkook shrugged. He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to divulge. “It’s not like we’re a thing.” He frowned. _ Yet… _

Yoongi canted his head slightly. “You two aren’t even dating?” Jungkook shook his head. “…then how did you get her number?”

“I stole it.” He said it automatically and instantly regretted it. He watched Yoongi blink at him before he started laughing. “I mean, I made her give it to me!”

He continued to laugh. “You _ made her _, huh?” Jungkook watched as he shook his head. “Well, that certainly isn’t like you at all.”

Jungkook hung his head and groaned. “I know…”

“Does she know what you do?” Yoongi’s laughter died off, but the amusement was still in his voice. Jungkook nodded. “Good. That’s good.”

“Huh? How come?”

“It’s good she knows and is still willing to talk to you, even if she’s being stubborn about it.” Yoongi reached for his shot glass, lifting it to his lips. “It’s better to be honest from the start. Relationships should never be built on lies, Jungkook.”

“Hyung…”

“If she can see you for who you are and still care about you, hold onto her.” Jungkook saw a look in Yoongi’s eyes that seemed to be a mixture of regret and something else. Something he couldn’t quite place. “No matter what.”


	3. Fake Love

"You say I’m not the person you used to know  
What do you mean? No, I’ve grown blind."

Yoongi stepped out of his car, a cigarette poking out from the corner of his mouth. A piece of ash fell to the pavement; forgotten as he looked up at the sign of the building he’d parked in front of. His dark hair fell across his brows and he reached up with one hand to scratch at the back of his ear – the edge of his finger touching the silver hoop dangling from his ear lobe. A chilly gust of wind blew against him, his heavy wool trench coat shielding him from the cold bite of autumn while hanging from his form. Dark brows furrowed as he took another drag from his cigarette, the amber glow from the cherry burning brightly while staring at the sign.

** _EDEN CUSTOMS_ **

He didn't understand why some people felt the need to hide their lineage. It wasn’t something that could be hidden - not with technology the way that it was now. Anything could be dug up on anyone at _ any _ given moment with the right amount of dollars and an equally right motive. But that was what it usually took. A motive.

No one really had a motive to dig up _ her _ background.

So, of course, outside of people like Yoongi, no one truly knew Eden’s family history. How could they? She was always the sort of person who kept her feelings, thoughts, and other such personal rubbish to herself. It had always been that way, even when they were younger. A young half Korean girl living in the States, with all the responsibilities and stereotypes that came from being of mixed heritage – she turned her back to it all. Without hesitation. Eden chose the life of a normal woman who was no longer tied to mundane responsibilities, who started her own business and was making her own way. Despite being an orphan, she was independent, strong, and a soldier.

Eden was...dirty.

At least that’s what Yoongi thought as he looked at the female mechanic who had a smudge of oil across her cheek and nose, bangs disheveled as she pulled her cap off. As Yoongi slipped his shades off his face and onto his head, Eden rubbed her hands against a rag that looked well over-used and in need of a washing. Yoongi tilted his head some, wrinkling her nose before shaking her head.

He could not understand why such a talented woman insisted on wasting it all away in such a vocational profession. Yoongi recalled her being a skilled dancer and artist. Yoongi remembered attending a ballet recital with Eden being the main star on stage. She was as stubborn and rough around the edges as they came, but even he could not remember a time when Eden had looked more beautiful...and more upset after he’d gone into her dressing room to change her clothes when she thought no one was looking.

Eden looked so angry and disgusted with the world.

“Well, aren't you a sight,” came Yoongi's easy tone, “you don't look glad to see me.”

She muttered something, waving at the rest of her crew as she looked at her watch. Eden gestured for Yoongi to follow her, to which he did. Not on command, but on request. Eden didn’t talk much, something he was used to. After all, he didn’t talk much either. Yoongi dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under the heel of his shoe before making his way behind her into the shop.

Eden threw a few “choice words” towards her young male co-workers who were clearly eyeing Yoongi suspiciously – something along the lines of bodily harm – before opening her office door and letting Yoongi enter first. After she closed the door shut behind her, Eden dropped into the chair in front of her paperwork piled desk and leaned back far enough to kick her feet on top of the surface between a column of files.

Yoongi raised a brow slowly at her, folding his arms across his chest before settling into the empty chair across from her. “So, things are good I take it?”

She shrugged. “As good as they can be.”

“I'm upset that you haven’t bothered to look me up since I got back.” This time _ she _ raised her brow at him. “I remember emailing you that I was coming home.”

Eden snorted, her dark brown eyes narrowing while scratching the side of her nose. He knew that was a tell-tale sign that she was irritated but didn’t feel like saying it out loud. Her olive skin seemed to take on a strange glow as the sun began to set out in the world beyond the large window to the right of her.

Suddenly, her phone started to buzz with life on the desk. Yoongi looked down and saw the name “Petty Mutt” appear on the screen. Eden glanced at the phone, waiting for it to stop ringing. When it finally did, Eden rolled her eyes. Not long after it stopped, it started buzzing to life once more – the same name popping up on the screen. Unable to hide his curiosity or his amusement, he smirked as she reached for the phone and turned it face down on the desk.

Yoongi leaned back in the chair, holding his hands across his stomach. “Well, someone’s persistent.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” she quipped, scratching at the back of her neck.

“Is it a guy?”

Her eyes cut toward him and Yoongi had to bite back a laugh. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or concerned that he was still able to get under her skin the way he did.

“That’s none of your business.”

He shrugged. “Why don’t you just block him if you’re not interested?”

This time _ she _ was the one to give him a devious smirk. “Who says I’m not interested?”

Yoongi’s smile fell almost immediately before he had a chance to catch himself. She seemed to have noticed this and her smile grew a few more inches. In turn, his blank face molded into an irritated scowl which only served to amuse her further.

There was no reason for him to _ visibly _ get jealous. After all, _ he _ was the one who chose to end things with Eden two years ago. He’d been living a double life when he was with her and she knew nothing of his ties to the Golden Jackals. A part of Yoongi was afraid that she would turn him away or even ridicule him for associating with gangsters, let alone being one of the upper tiered members. Eden had standards and a code of morals she stubbornly adhered to. There was nothing wrong with that. In fact, that was one of the many reasons he was so attracted to her when they’d first met in the States.

He never thought she would come to South Korea. A part of him was shocked that she was willing to take a chance on a new place, a new culture and set of customs that she was mostly unfamiliar with. Or, at least, as unfamiliar as he’d believed. Truth be told, he was a little shocked that not only was she fluent in the language, but that she wasn’t ignorant to his culture. It was only after they’d started dating during his time in the U.S. that the truth came out.

Eden was an orphan and she had no idea who her parents were. She didn’t really care about their whereabouts as she was about her own origins. After digging through a few records, she’d discovered that she was of South Korean and African American descent. Growing up in America, she had no way of discovering her roots unless she did some digging for herself. For years she studied Korean culture, history, language and customs and even served as an interpreter for hire for corporate offices like Kia and Hyundai.

It wasn’t until she met Yoongi that she finally took the plunge to go to a country where half of her origins hailed from. There was a part of Yoongi that had been terrified of the idea of her discovering the truth about him. That he wasn’t some young entrepreneur in search of something greater than himself; that his success stemmed from gang-related activities and how he spent most of his time in the criminal underworld. He wasn’t ashamed of his brothers or the Golden Jackals. Yoongi just didn’t want to see the disappointment on her face when she found out that he’d begun their relationship with lies.

Even though they’d broken up, Yoongi couldn’t do the right thing and simply stay away. No. Her energy and attitude continued to draw him in, and he constantly felt a need to be around her. Even for just a drink and conversation. It had taken some doing, but he finally was able to get her to talk to him again without throwing a socket wrench at him. After a few drunken nights and even some accidental hookups, he was starting to realize that he was an idiot for ending things with her. But Yoongi figured it was for the best.

He still missed her, and it drove him crazy.

Clearing his throat, Yoongi crossed one leg over the other. “Are you busy tonight?” He didn’t want to bring up the guy on the phone, knowing it would probably cause an argument to stir up between them.

Eden slung her feet off the top of her desk and began sifting through some of the paperwork on her desk. “A little.” She paused, looking back at him. “Why?”

“I wanted to get a drink with you.”

She barked a laugh while tilting her head slightly. “Why? So you can get me tipsy enough to have another row with you in the sheets before you leave me in the middle of the night like some man cheating on his wife?” Eden scoffed, resuming her rustling of paperwork. “No thanks.”

Leaning forward, Yoongi snatched Eden’s wrist in his hand and held tightly – instantly stilling her movements. Her smirk faded as her gaze lifted to meet his – her eyes glaring darkly at him.

“It’s not like that.”

"Oh? It’s not?” Yoongi felt her trying to pull her hand free but his grip tightened. He could see the anger exploding across her face. “Then how come it’s been like that the last few times we’ve gone out? Do I look like some fucking whore to you, Min Yoongi? Huh?!”

“Dammit, Eden, I told you it’s not like that!”

“What is it then?!”

She finally yanked her hand free and stood up. Yoongi followed, unable to handle her glaring down at him. Eden slammed both of her hands onto her desk, causing a few papers to flutter from the stacks and onto the ground.

“Didn’t you make it clear that there is nothing between us anymore? Weren’t you the one who said that things were over?” Yoongi watched her face scrunch up in that way that he knew she did when she was trying not to cry, causing some of his own anger to ebb away. “Then stop playing these fucking games with me. I’m sick of it. I’ve fucking had it, alright?”

“Eden…”

He didn’t know what else to say and even though it hurt to see her like this, he called her name anyway. Even though he didn’t have any right to do so. She was right. He was being selfish and it was hurting her. It wasn’t fair to either of them, but it most definitely wasn’t fair to her.

Sighing, he held his hands up. “You’re right. I’m…I’m sorry, okay?” He watched her angrily wipe at her cheeks, further smudging it and he gave her a gentle smile. “Look, I just want to get drinks tonight, alright? Nothing more. No strings attached; I promise.” Yoongi held his hand out to her and she gazed down at it speculatively. “Friends?”

Eden seemed to be considering this and for a moment he was almost sure that she was going to tell him to go fuck himself. He would have deserved it, but it wouldn’t have hurt any less, that’s for sure. But he felt relief hit him as she wiped her palms along the front of her jeans to take his hand into hers. A wave of nostalgia hit him as her grip tightened around his hand – reminding him of when they’d first met each other all those years ago.

“Alright,” she said gently, a more genuine smile gracing her lips, “friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Welp, if you guys haven't figured it out, yes, every chapter title will be a BTS song. Also, yes, every chapter will feature a different member/OC's perspective. This is a slow burn story which means that you're going to have to pack your patience, ladies and gentlemen. These chapters aren't long, but there are things in the chapters that more than make up for the brevity. I hope you've enjoyed it so far! Please review and leave kudos! It means the world to me!


	4. Spine Breaker

"What’s going on? Are you falling behind on the trend?  
You whined and complained to get it, did I strike a nerve?"

Seokjin hated meetings.

He especially hated _ these _ kinds of meetings. 

There was a part of him that had to keep his comments to himself throughout the whole sordid affair. Mostly because he knew it wasn’t his place to voice his opinions aloud. Namjoon and he were there simply to facilitate and comply with the wishes of their boss. It was the role he chose to take up and with that role came certain responsibilities and caveats. 

Speaking out of turn was not one of them. 

All the district heads sat in plush leather chairs around a well-polished redwood table. They typically held these sorts of gatherings in conference rooms at the swankiest hotel in the area. Whatever district the meeting was held determined who sat at the head of the table. It was a showcase of both power and respect, as well as tradition. 

Hoseok sat at the head of the table today. 

Both Namjoon and he stood on either side of Hoseok and just a few inches behind him. Other Seconds and Thirds mirrored their stance, standing behind their respective bosses. They remained silent as the heads talked among themselves, catching up on whatever idle gossip they wished to engage in. But on the inside, Seokjin knew that everyone had beef with Hoseok in particular, seeing as how he was one of the youngest at the table. 

At thirty, Hoseok had maintained his position. Seokjin and Namjoon ensured that he kept a firm hold on his territories. But something that most seated at the table failed to grasp was that Hoseok wasn’t just chosen to lead the Golden Jackals. Namjoon and the others may have urged him to take up the mantle, but Hoseok continued to be the boss on his own strength and merits.

He wasn’t one to be trifled with. 

Hoseok flashed a casual grin, his gaze hooded – seemingly lazy – as he leaned back in the plush leather of his seat. Clapping his hands twice, he gathered up the attention of the others and they all soon quieted down. 

“Gentlemen,” he said, his tone deep and with just a hint of his country drawl curbing the end of it, “I believe it’s time we got things started. I know we all have things to do, so let’s keep this as brief as possible.” 

Shin Dongwook, leader of The Silver Snakes of the Guro District, scoffed as he raised a dark brow at Hoseok. His blonde fringe fell across the bridge of his nose as he lifted his drink, his rings clinking along the rim of the glass. “You hear that? The _m_ _ aknae _ thinks he knows what our schedules are.” Some of the others snickered, bumping elbows with each other in amusement as Dongwook took a slow drink of whiskey. “Tell me, Hoseok-ah, is there really anything that we need to discuss today?” 

The muscle near Seokjin’s jaw pulsed as he ground his molars together. His eyes narrowed slowly as he watched the others smirking derisively toward Hoseok. He could see Namjoon shift uncomfortably out the corner of his eye, but Hoseok merely chuckled as he rolled his neck toward Dongwook. 

“Why Dongwook Hyung, I’m shocked you were able to attend at all. Seeing as how you can’t keep your own territory in order. I heard it’s quite a mess where you are.” Hoseok steepled his fingers while resting his elbows on the surface of the table. “Do you need some help?” 

Dongwook’s glass hit the coaster harshly as he bared his teeth at Hoseok. The table got quiet save for the sound of Dongwook’s throaty growl. 

“Watch your mouth, Jung Hoseok.” His dark eyes narrowed into slits. “How I handle my turf is my business, you got that?” 

Hoseok lifted his hands in the air in what Seokjin knew to be a mocking show of surrender. It surprised him. He didn’t think that Hoseok would be the first to begin needling into the others. Even though it was his right as the meeting was being held in _ his _ district, it normally wasn’t his style. Clearly the conversation the three of them had prior to the meeting had been weighing on Hoseok’s mind more than he’d initially let on. 

“Ease up, Dongwook-ah,” chimed Kim Pilsoo from across the table, causing everyone in the conference room to face him. “We’re in Hoseok’s territory and sitting at his table. You’d do well to remember that and give that seat the respect it deserves.” 

He was one of the older leaders at the table and one that everyone mutually respected. He’d been scuttling around in the underground circuit for some time and was one of the few who still remained from the older generation of gangsters. Pilsoo’s dark hair was showing a few slivers of gray and it was clear that this particular lifestyle had taken a toll on him – crow’s feet revealing themselves in the corners of his eyes. Pilsoo flashed Hoseok a knowing smirk as all the other bosses bowed their heads in respect toward him. 

Clearing his throat, Dongwook sat back in his chair and undid the button of his jacket. Hoseok leaned back in his chair as well, running a hand through his dark hair and the silver hoop in his ear seemed to gleam for just a moment. Seokjin kept a close eye on those around the room, watching their expressions and to see said expressions change the moment that Hoseok addressed everyone with what his main concerns were. 

“I’m only bringing it up because you seemed to have gotten a little too greedy these days, Dongwook Hyung.” Hoseok’s smile remained even though it was clear that he was about to unearth a sour topic at a typically non-hostile meeting. “You think that we don’t know what you’ve been up to, hm?” 

Dongwook scoffed. “What the hell are you talking about, Hoseok?” 

Hoseok’s eyes narrowed only a fraction, but it caused Seokjin’s lips to part slightly. Surely, he wouldn’t bring it up now. Not with all the other brothers in the room. Namjoon must have picked up on this as well, seeing as how he was giving Seokjin a curious glance. Shaking his head quickly, they both decided to wait for Hoseok to continue. 

“I’m talking about how you’ve been poking your nose into my affairs, Hyung. I don’t appreciate that.” He leaned back in the chair while tilting his head to the side. “That’s not very nice at all.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Hoseok raised a brow. “You sure about that?” He let out a breathy chuckle. “Because I think you do, seeing as how you sent your dogs to sniff around and mark my territory as your own.” There was a pause as he leaned forward a bit to rest his hands on the table. “I had my people take care of them though. Took them out like they were garbage.” 

“What?!” 

Seokjin reached his hand out to gently press his palm to the back of Hoseok’s chair. He felt it lean back, putting pressure into his hand as Hoseok sank back into the plush leather. He was treading a very thin line and he was taking a big gamble by letting Dongwook know about his little group encroaching into their domain. 

“Ambition is great and all, Hyung, but don’t you think you’re being a little rude coming into someone’s house and treading mud all over the floor?” Hoseok’s voice was light, as if he were telling an interesting story. There was no warmth in his words, however. Seokjin could hear the chill in his tone. “The least you could do is take off your shoes and bring a fucking fruit basket.” 

Dongwook shot up from his chair, as well as a few others. Dongwook may have been older than Hoseok, but age meant nothing in a circle of gangsters. No. It was about respect and experience; the ability to maintain control and to continue to hold the respect of one’s underlings. It was no secret that Dongwook’s hold on his entourage was starting to slack. There was clearly some in-fighting going on that he wasn’t at liberty to speak about. The fastest way to regain that hold and reclaim respect was to take over another boss’s territory. 

Treading into the Golden Jackals’ domain, however, was a big mistake. 

Hoseok rose from his seat, causing the others to stand as well. Namjoon helped him slip into his coat while Seokjin handed him his phone. They all watched him finish his drink and set the empty glass back on the table. 

“I let your boys off with a warning, Hyung, because I respect you and the other brothers in this room. But make no mistake, I earned my place at this table, _ maknae _ or not.” He paused, readjusting his coat to sit more comfortably on his shoulders and Seokjin moved the chair out of his way. “I won’t sit still the next time you try it again.” Hoseok turned to the others and bowed his head in respect while Namjoon and Seokjin did the same. “See you at the next meeting, Hyungs. Pilsoo Hyung, I’ll come by to your hotel’s grand opening next month.” 

Seokjin hung back with Namjoon, waiting for Hoseok to move in front of them before they followed – not looking back into the conference room as an explosion of curses spilled from Dongwook’s mouth and the others attempted to get him to calm down. They made their way down the long corridor and entered the hotel’s lobby where the female clerk at the desk flashed them a nervous smile. Seokjin smiled back to her and he watched with mild amusement at the flush that crowned her cheeks. 

It wasn’t until the three of them were fully settled in the backseat of the large black sedan did Seokjin finally heave a soft sigh. His brows furrowed as he looked across from him to Hoseok who looked as laid back as he often did. It was like the meeting hadn’t affected him at all. 

“Was that really necessary, Hoseok-ah?” 

Hoseok sighed, a guilty smile forming on his lips. “Jin Hyung, I know what you’re thinking alright?” His gaze moved toward the window as he propped his chin in his palm. “But I wasn’t going to wait around and let him think he’d gotten away with it or that we were going to continue to play stupid.” 

Namjoon sat next to Hoseok and gently bumped his elbow against Hoseok’s. “I get where you’re coming from, Hoseok, I do. But I thought we decided we were going to handle Dongwook Hyung’s issues one-on-one?” 

“I know, I know,” he said, a hint of exasperation in his voice, “but it’s better to get that mess out in the open where others can hear. I don’t want them getting any funny ideas.” 

Seokjin looked to Namjoon and nodded. “He’s right. I think it was a good idea to put it all out on the table like that.” He paused, looking back at Hoseok. “But don’t you think you should have discussed it with us first?” 

Hoseok looked at him and smirked, giving him a half shrug. “What? So you two could convince me that it wasn’t the smartest of moves? Come on, guys, give me a little credit will ya?” 

A buzzing sound issued from the inside of Seokjin’s jacket pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw that it was Taehyung calling. He sighed before answering. “What is it, Taehyung-ah?” 

_ “Why do you always answer the phone like that, Jin Hyung? What if I’m just calling because I want to hear your voice?” _

“_ Did _ you call just to hear my voice?” 

_ “Um…no." _

“Do you _ ever call _ just to hear my voice?” 

_ “…uuuuh…” _

“What do you need, Taehyung?” 

Namjoon smirked while Hoseok shook his head and rolled his eyes. Seokjin pinched the bridge of his nose as Taehyung went on another mini tirade before finally pausing long enough to catch his breath. 

_ “Anyway, I was just calling to let you know that the night clubs we secured last month are finally good to go. We shouldn’t have any problems since Jimin Hyung and I were able to grease a few palms.” _

“Good.” 

_ “How was the meeting? Is Hoseok Hyung doing alright?” _

“Everything’s fine. We’ll see you back at the house.” 

_ “Alright, alright. Yeesh. Bye.” _

Seokjin hung up and placed the phone back into his pocket. “Taehyung said the night clubs are good to go.” 

Hoseok gave a relieved sigh. “Oh good,” he said, pressing a hand to his forehead, “I was worried we were gonna have to secure some more cash.” 

Namjoon shook his head, half laughing and half disgusted. “Politicians are easy. It’s the DA’s office we need to be concerned about.” 

“We might be moving a little too fast, guys,” Seokjin said softly, his voice tinged with worry. “I’m worried about Yoongi and Jungkook with the boys.” 

“They’ll be fine.” Hoseok’s tone was reassuring but the worry lines were still deep on Seokjin’s brow. “We can’t afford to wait another year. You saw what Dongwook Hyung was willing to do, pressing his luck like that. We have to make our moves now or else we’ll be crushed under heel.” 

“He’s right, Hyung,” came Namjoon’s soft voice, “it’s now or never. We have to turn the tide or else we’ll drown.” 

Seokjin knew they were right. Hell, it was a suggestion he’d made a couple of years back. But something was settling in the pit of his stomach and it made him worry for his brothers. He knew that each of them was more than capable of taking care of themselves. But this was a different game they were playing. Ten years of living in Seoul had hardened them for the dark and gritty underworld. Now was the time to strike and really dig their claws into the ground – to truly make their mark. 

But if they got too far ahead of themselves, there was a chance that the ground would crumble right out from underneath their feet.


	5. Blood, Sweat & Tears

"But your wings are wings of the devil  
In front of your sweet is bitter bitter..."

** _9 Years Ago  
_ ** _ Seoul – Itaewon; Yongsan District  
_ _ South Korea _

_ He’d been in Seoul for a year now. Hoseok could hardly fathom it. He never thought he would be here in the big city. Maybe as a tourist, but not as a permanent resident. _

_ For his entire life, all he’d ever known was the vast countryside of Hwaseong. His family was one of the more well-known ones of the area. The Jung family had the most land and descended from a long line of people who tilled the land. South Korea reached its peak in technological advancements. Farming equipment was better, and people still had to work hard, but not as hard as they once did decades back. _

_ When Namjoon asked if they would come to Seoul with him, Hoseok had his reservations. They all did. But one by one, they arrived in Seoul. Jimin was predictably the last to get there. _

_ The first year was the hardest for them all. Or maybe it was more difficult for everyone else except Yoongi and Jungkook. Hoseok wasn’t quite sure. What he _ ** _did_ ** _ know was that Jungkook thrived in the city. He was no stranger to hard work and manual labor in the industrial aspect, taking on odd jobs from restaurant delivery to factory work. _

_ It was a little more difficult for the rest of them since all they really knew was farm work. For a time, Hoseok worked in a produce warehouse. The job itself was rewarding, and he was able to secure a few connections. Namjoon seemed to be pushing himself even harder in school – going so far as to take night classes. There were times when he would come home to their cramped two-bedroom apartment, attempting a smile but there would be a nosebleed soon to follow. _

_ Jimin and Jungkook took on extra jobs to make things easier on the others. Namjoon could only do so much while going to school. He seemed damned and determined to finish faster than the rest of his classmates. Hoseok remembered him talking to Seokjin late one night when the others were asleep. Hoseok had gotten up to get some water and that was when Namjoon explained how he was basically going to hit the ground running for them all. He wanted them to succeed - to live like kings. _

_ Hoseok admired his ambition. _

_ Taehyung entered the apartment carrying two large plastic bags. The aroma of food filled the room and Hoseok stood from his perch in the corner. He immediately made his way toward the kitchenette to retrieve the small table they all ate from. Yoongi was right behind him, a case of beer in one hand and a duffel bag in the other. Seokjin looked up from reading his book on the top bunk bed, peering over the edge to see who all had returned home. He waved to Yoongi as he dropped his bag just by the door and Hoseok smiled as a sleepy Jungkook appeared from the other bedroom, scratching at his head and tummy at the same time. _

_ Yoongi smirked, reaching up to rub Jungkook’s head as Hoseok handed him a glass of water. The older man made his way toward the mini fridge to put up the beer and Hoseok grinned as Jungkook drank his water slowly. _

_ “Did you have a late morning, Jungkook-ah?” _

_ He nodded, heading to the kitchenette to wash the empty glass. _

_ “What time did you get in?” _

_ Jungkook yawned. “Five this morning.” _

_ Hoseok frowned just as Seokjin came down from the bunk bed. “I told you to quit one of your part-time jobs, Jungkook,” chastised Seokjin, his brows furrowing slightly, “Your Hyungs will take care of everything.” _

_ Jungkook laughed as he plopped down on the floor where the table was being set up by Taehyung. It was a modest spread that probably came from a variety of street carts and tent houses. Yoongi was busying himself in the kitchen, retrieving utensils and bowls for everyone. _

_ A sigh left Hoseok’s lips as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Looking at it, he shook his head when he saw it was from Jimin. Apparently he’d left his key at home and was making his way up the stairs. Without having to say a word, he looked at Yoongi and watched him cross the short distance to the door and opened it - revealing a slightly winded Jimin on the other side. He beamed, tossing his delivery hat to the side as he shrugged out of his uniform jacket and slipped out of his work boots. _

_ “Something smells good!” he said cheerfully as Taehyung drug him down onto the floor to sit beside him. He looked around the room, noting that they were one person short. “Where’s Namjoon Hyung?” _

_ No sooner had he said it, the door opened to reveal Namjoon. He immediately dropped his school bag to the floor and kicked off his sneakers. He had a troubled look on his face and Hoseok frowned. It wasn’t hard for him to figure out that something was weighing on his mind and it had been for quite a few weeks now. Yoongi handed Namjoon a beer and just as he was about to take his seat at the other side of the table, he stopped. _

_ Namjoon looked at Seokjin who was seated at the other end of the table. Hoseok peered at the oldest one of his friends and then watched as the two of them shared a nod. Soon, they were turning their eyes toward Hoseok and he blinked, not understanding why suddenly their attention was on him. What chatter was happening immediately quieted - disturbed only by the sound of clinking silverware. _

_ “Hoseok-ah,” came Seokjin’s soft voice, causing Hoseok to look at him, “go ahead and sit over there.” _

_ Hoseok’s lips parted. He was talking about taking Namjoon’s seat at the head of the table. Looking between the two of them, he wasn’t sure what to say. In fact, he was pretty sure he could say _ ** _nothing _ ** _ in this moment. He saw Jungkook chewing on a piece of kimbap while Taehyung cracked open a can of beer. Jimin set his rice bowl down and Yoongi lowered his chopsticks to the table. _

_ “H-Hyung,” stammered Hoseok, unsure of what to make of this, “sitting there…” _

_ “Means you’re the leader,” finished Namjoon, grinning. He shifted over to where Hoseok continued to sit and held his hand out to him. “So get up and take your seat.” _

_ Grasping Namjoon’s hand, he could barely feel his body leaving the floor. He glanced back at Seokjin who simply nodded. After a moment, Hoseok’s eyes met everyone’s at the table. It was no secret what they were about to get into. They’d all talked about it in length for some time and while Jimin had been the most against the idea, he relented in the end. _

_ They were finally going to delve into the dark criminal underworld. They were going to become gangsters. _

_ It was assumed that either Seokjin or even Namjoon would be the one to lead them. It had been their idea. These part-time gigs and scrimping for every chunk of change they had to make ends meet was only temporary. Hoseok was simply waiting for the next set of instructions to come from either of them. _

_ “But why?” The question came out a little harsher than he’d intended. However, Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s expressions remained pleasant. He couldn’t explain it, but this almost seemed to upset Hoseok more. “Why?” _

_ “Because you’re the only one who can, Hoseok,” said Namjoon, placing his hand on his shoulder. Hoseok couldn’t hide the confusion on his face and this made his friend grin. “I’m still in school, though I’m gonna bust my fucking ass to get out early. Seokjin Hyung has to get us established so his face is going to be all over the place. Yoongi Hyung prefers to stay out of that seat because he’s already doing his part to get everything together for the other gangs to learn about us.” _

_ Hoseok looked over at Yoongi who smirked, holding his can of beer in the air in a ‘cheers’ sort of fashion. He blinked as the three youngest merely smiled and nodded while putting food into their mouths. _

_ Apparently this was all discussed without him. While part of him was upset, he knew the reason why they’d done it. If he’d been involved in the conversation, he would have fought tooth and nail to make sure that someone else was put in that seat. Because he didn’t believe he was qualified enough. _

_ “Hoseok-ah, listen to me…” Seokjin’s voice was calm; collected. It eased the hammering of Hoseok’s heart a measure. “You are the most qualified to lead us. You’re level-headed, merciful, and your overall image suits what is needed today. We are young and inexperienced, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be like that forever.” _

_ He paused, standing so that he, too, could be at Hoseok’s side. “You’re the strongest of us all. Because we know how scary you can _ ** _really_ ** _ become. That image is what we need to really make an impression.” _

_ Something flickered in Seokjin’s gaze and Hoseok’s brows furrowed. _

_ “**T**_**_hat_ ** _ is the edge we need to survive in this world.” _

* * *

**** **_Present Day_**  
_ Seoul - Hannam; Yongsan District  
_ _ South Korea _

Hoseok stood on the second floor balcony, a glass of scotch in his hand. It clinked softly as the cubes of ice shifted while he leaned on his back leg. The chilly night air barely registered along his skin, though he knew that one of the others would appear with a robe or light lounge jacket for him to wear. The house was so big but he always knew when there was movement around.

It was part of his nature to be aware of his surroundings.

His eyes lowered to the street as he waited for a set of headlights to appear. He turned his left arm over to peer at his wrist. It was getting late and while he wasn’t normally worried for his friends, it gave him relief to know when they were all able to return home. 

No sooner had he looked at his watch did a pair of headlights round the corner and up the hill. Without having to guess, he knew that it was Taehyung with Jimin. They always returned home around this time. Jungkook was napping in his room and Yoongi said he would be on his way after meeting up with a friend. Another set of lights appeared and he guessed that it was Yoongi right on the other two’s backs.

Hoseok vacated the balcony and closed the glass French doors behind him. Making his way downstairs, drink in hand, he saw Seokjin appearing from the study while Namjoon poured away over some paperwork in the den. They never were in the business of bringing work home, but these days it couldn’t be helped. 

The _ beep _ of the security lock echoed in the foyer just as Yoongi, Taehyung and Jimin entered the house. They stepped out of their street shoes and slid into their house slippers. A sleepy Jungkook slowly made his way down the stairs, getting his head rubbed by the three men before they all trudged into the den where Seokjin and Namjoon were waiting. 

Taehyung handed several thick manila envelopes over to Namjoon and Seokjin just as Hoseok sat in the large plush leather chair. There were two leather couches on either side of a glass coffee table - the surface inlaid along intricate metal workings. Jungkook stole a sip of water from the glass Yoongi’d just brought in, leaning in to sniff the older man and Yoongi laughed. 

“Hyung, you smell like booze and engine exhaust…” 

Yoongi smirked, shrugging. “I do?”

Hoseok grinned, crossing one leg over the other while his house slipper dangled from his foot. “You look pleased with yourself, Yoongi Hyung.”

“You could say that.” He took a seat next to Jungkook and Jimin as Taehyung handed off the file that Jimin gave him. “Looks like you two were busy.”

Taehyung flashed his boxy smile, a hint of mischief sparking in his eyes. His silvery blue and black fringe danced along his brows and ears. “You could say that.” There was a playful tone in his voice.

Yoongi rolled his eyes while taking the glass of water from Jungkook when he was finished. 

Jimin sighed while brushing his chestnut bangs off his forehead. “We just did what we were supposed to. I don’t know why he’s gloating.”

Taehyung’s cheeks puffed out in defiance. He was a grown man and he still acted like a child. Expelling the air from his mouth, he looked at Hoseok with raised brows. “How was your meeting, Hyung?”

Hoseok chuckled while setting his glass on the nearby coaster. “I guess you could call it productive.” He leaned back in the chair. “Though Namjoon and Seokjin Hyung just about had heart attacks.”

“Lies,” said Seokjin while holding up an envelope in the air, “we were just trudging through, oh, I dunno, a proverbial _ minefield_.” He paused, looking Hoseok in the eye as he raised a brow. “Hoseok forgot to mention that he was carrying _ grenades _ in his pockets, is all.”

Jungkook grinned as he rested his hands behind his head. “You must have told Dongwook Hyung that we trashed his crew.”

“I did,” came Hoseok’s nonchalant reply, “and I also told him not to come stomping through our turf again just because he can’t handle the shit going on in his own house.”

There was an edge to Hoseok’s voice that none in the room missed. Namjoon stilled his hands long enough to brush one of them through his ash blonde locks. “It was risky, but Hoseok made it very loud and clear that everyone needs to stay out of that particular area of Gangnam.”

“Dongwook Hyung is such a fucking piece of work,” snapped Taehyung as he stretched his long legs out in front of him. “He’s all bark and no bite. Always has been.”

“That doesn’t make him any less dangerous, Taehyung-ah,” Hoseok said calmly. “I gave him a warning, but that doesn’t mean he’ll take this insult lying down.”

“Let him try it,” Jungkook half-snarled, as if he were ready to launch an assault. 

Hoseok held out a hand to Jungkook. “Hey, none of that,” he chastised before looking to Yoongi. “There’s no guarantee that Dongwook Hyung was the only one with the itch to move into our territory. Don’t let your guard down and don’t make any hasty movements. Got it?”

Everyone nodded. They had spent some time making a name for themselves and it probably didn’t help that they had their fingers in a lot of different pots. Gambling. Investment banking. Night clubs and various other forms of underground entertainment. International dealings with other investment firms. Their next move would be to take over a few hotels and start going into the real estate business.

Land was more precious than gold.

“Seokjin Hyung,” said Namjoon suddenly, causing everyone’s eyes to look in his direction, “did you find a personal financial advisor that’s willing to work just for us?”

Seokjin grinned as he folded his arms across his chest. “I think so. It’s just a matter of getting them to bend a little.”

“Good. The sooner we get them working for us, the better off we’ll be. We need to start consolidating assets soon and focusing all of our energy into just a few projects. Spreading ourselves this thin worked in the beginning because we needed to get our names out there.” Namjoon paused, leaning back into the couch while tossing the manila envelope in his hand onto the table. “Now that people know who we are, it’s really time to sink our claws into the ground.”

Hoseok nodded. “The sooner, the better.”


	6. Boyz With Fun

"The fun boys go until the dawn moon sets,  
This is so fun, all fakeness has gone home."

_ Seoul - Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _ South Korea _

Taehyung leaned against the side of the building, the stick of his lollipop poking out from between his lips. After all these years, he still possessed an almost insatiable sweet tooth. It was one of the few things in life that he just couldn’t seem to give up and could also maintain his interest. As much of a flirt that he was, women came and went from his bed. Or he from theirs. The rough and tumble life they led in the earlier days of their beginnings had seemingly lost its attraction. But sweets? Well, those just never got old.

However, there were some people that could keep his attention. It was a feat, yes, but not impossible. One such individual worked in the very building he was leaning against. In fact, he’d been shadowing them for the better part of a few months. They were stubborn and liked to appear that they weren’t interested or even a bit curious as to why he was shadowing them. But that was fine. Taehyung didn’t mind.

It made the chase all the more delicious.

As he spied the time on his watch, he knew that this person was going to be clocking out soon. Their routine in this place was like clockwork; predictable and consistent. There were times when a wrench got thrown in, ultimately ruining the schedule, but those moments were rare. Unable to hide the growing excitement on his face, he pushed himself off the concrete surface and made his way through the automatic sliding doors of the hospital.

Not even a handful of steps into the lobby, he saw the person he was looking for. Or, rather, _ waiting _ for. She was dressed in her scrubs – a soft, periwinkle blue – clutching her bag while her coat draped over one of her arms. Tall with brown skin and curling dark hair, her glasses were situated on her face in a way that made her seem almost adorable. She was talking with one of her co-workers, probably about the patients they had for the day and what their plans were for the coming weekend. Would they trade off shifts? God, he hoped not.

She let out a laugh and Taehyung crunched into the hard candy, chewing methodically as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He was mentally counting down how long it would take for her to notice him.

_ Three…two…one…bingo! _

When the countdown finished in his head, she looked up and their eyes met. Her smile fell a fraction and she slowed her pace down a measure. Her co-worker seemed confused by the action until the other nurse caught sight of Taehyung. She gave a small wave and he returned the gesture just as she smirked playfully toward the woman whom he couldn’t take his eyes from. The other woman gently nudged her and told her she would see her tomorrow. Taehyung closed the distance between them, standing just a foot in front of her.

“Hey there, Gorgeous,” he said, the candy’s stick clamped between his teeth as he flashed her his trademark boxy smile, “long day?”

The woman, Raelyn Briggs, rolled her eyes as she side-stepped him so she could walk around him. “What is it now?” She asked him the question, but continued walking – as if she really didn’t care one way or the other if he answered or not.

Pivoting on his heels, he jogged up beside her while spitting the stick into the garbage. “Was it a _ bad _ day?”

“It was fine until you showed up.”

She refused to look at him, but this didn’t stop him from smiling or from being persistent.

“Aw, c’mon. That’s not a nice thing to say.” He dramatically placed a hand on his chest, palm resting over the spot where his heart was beating steadily beneath. “I need you to give me a check-up.”

Raelyn scoffed. “Then schedule an appointment.”

Taehyung clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Don’t be like that, Rae Noona.” 

"Like what?”

He pouted. “You’re such a meanie.”

“And you’re a menace.”

He tried to maintain his pouty expression, but he soon dissolved into a small fit of laughter. He didn’t know why but annoying her was so fun. Maybe it was because she made it so easy or because she didn’t immediately tell him to go fly a kite in downtown traffic. He couldn’t help his curiosity when it came to Raelyn.

She wasn’t the first transplant to come to South Korea. In this day and age, it was pretty common for foreigners to immigrate to other countries for work. There were all kinds of programs for teaching as well as through vocational or technical skills. Trade skills existed all over the world and like Koreans often went to other countries to learn, the same could be said for others wanting to expand their knowledge in a variety of fields.

From what he was able to glean, Raelyn was one such individual. Even though he’d known her for the better part of three years, she’d lived in South Korea for four. The more scandalous side of it all was that Raelyn used to date Hoseok. Things ended on her terms, though the reason for it was a bit hazy. At least what he was able to learn from the other Hyungs. No one really wanted to talk about it and so Taehyung didn’t pry.

He couldn’t remember why, exactly, the topic had been broached, but he _ did _ recall that Hoseok said he was over the relationship. That things ended for the best. Not that Taehyung was in the business of taking someone’s second serving of a dish, but if she was a girl interesting enough to turn Hoseok’s head then he _ had to know _ what she was all about.

Imagine his surprise when he discovered that she was a nurse, darker skinned _ and _ a foreigner.

Taehyung ran a few paces in front of Raelyn and stopped, forcing her to come to a halt. She had a clear look of irritation painted over her face, but this made his smile widen. He knew that she was just taking off from work and probably wanted to have nothing to do with him, yet he just wasn’t selfless enough to leave her alone. Maybe she was playing hard to get. Who knew? But she kept his interest and that made him even more determined to get her to give him a chance.

“Look, Noona,” he said, brushing his fingers through his silvery blue and black hair, “I know you’ve probably had a long day and that’s why I wanna take you out. Nothing fancy or uncomfortable, I promise.” He held his hands up in a show of playful surrender. “Just dinner and a drink. You think you’d be up for something like that?”

Raelyn gave him the once over, canting her head slightly in a way that made the lens of her glasses shine off from the many streetlights along the corner. There really wasn’t a reason for her to accept his offer. Then again, there really wasn’t a reason for her to decline it either. It was a win-win situation for both. He had a few days of down time before Jimin and he would have to hit the streets again to collect on some things. Normally Taehyung made an effort to get ahead of the game, but he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to get a chance to really get to know Raelyn for who she was. Not just the professional nurse mask she wore, but the real face that hid behind it.

After a few more grueling minutes of silence, Raelyn sighed slowly and Taehyung had to contain his excitement. He knew that he’d won. As he was mentally giving himself a pat on the back, he watched Raelyn setting her purse down on the ground so she could slip into her coat. Taehyung moved so that he was behind her, helping her arms slide into the sleeves. He leaned down and picked up her purse and she set it on her shoulder.

With a wide gesture of her arm, she cocked her head to the side. “After you.”

Taehyung grinned, holding out his arm for her and she shook her head while rolling her eyes. He gently elbowed her persistently and when her arm finally slid through his, he beamed proudly. For whatever reason, he felt like he was suddenly on top of the world.

Like he promised, they walked and talked amicably. It was no secret what circles he ran with and there was no sense hiding it from her. It wasn’t like she was ignorant to his world. He was curious about her day-to-day activities and quickly ascertained that he admired her drive to help people. But she wasn’t above taking care of herself. Self-care was important. People tend to forget that.

He most certainly _ did not_.

It didn’t take them long to arrive to their destination. It was a quiet café with a nice atmosphere that also served modest entrees. He remembered her saying once that after a long shift, the last thing she wanted to do was gorge on food and pass out. It normally gave her indigestion in the morning and she wasn’t about that life. Taehyung could eat enough for three people, but that was just his metabolism and active lifestyle talking.

She ordered a deli sandwich, soup and coffee while he ordered a plate of pasta with tea. Their conversation continued on the tamer side and he ignored the looks that a few patrons gave them. He knew that he was good looking and there were people who also knew that he was part of the underground circuit. He didn’t care for their judgmental eyes or thoughts, keeping his attention on Raelyn as she ate politely while indulging him in conversation. Also politely.

Then the anvil fell.

“So,” she said, raising the mug up to her lips, “do you think it’s a good idea to be gettin’ fresh with your boss’s ex-girl?”

Taehyung was in mid-sip of his tea when he inhaled suddenly, racked with a coughing fit that he thought would never end. People were looking at him for a different reason now. He stared at her, unblinking, wondering just where the hell that even came from.

In fact, he was going to ask.

“Where the hell did _ that _ come from?”

She scoffed, sipping from the mug and then setting it down. “Oh come _ on_, Taehyung- _ ssi_,” she said, putting extra emphasis to the polite way of addressing him, “I don’t know what game you’re playing but I know that you’ve been poking around me because you want to know something, don’t you?” Raelyn pushed her glasses up along the bridge of her nose. “‘What could my boss, Jung Hoseok, possibly have seen in a woman like this?’ That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

His mouth opened to protest, but he soon closed it when he realized that she wasn’t completely wrong.

But she wasn’t completely _ right, _either.

However, instead of answering, all he could do was remain silent – his lips pressing together in a thin line.

Raelyn chuckled because she knew she’d gotten the upper hand. It wasn’t in his nature to not throw something back at her in rebuttal. But he knew he couldn’t regain the advantage. Not in this conversation.

“I’m pretty sure you already know that _ I _ was the one to end things. You’re wondering why that is, aren’t you? Why a woman like me would walk away from the benefits and opportunities that come with being the boss’s girlfriend?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. Anger flared behind his eyes, but he couldn’t pinpoint just what he was angry _ for_. If it was because he’d been outsmarted, or if it was because Raelyn was taking Hoseok lightly.

_ No _ , he thought, his grip tightening around his cup of tea, _ she knows _ ** _exactly_ ** _ what he is capable of. _

“I’ll tell you why, Taehyung-ssi, so that you’ll finally get an idea of who I am and maybe, just maybe, you’ll leave well enough alone.” Raelyn finished up her coffee and began digging through her purse. She pulled out a black and silver clutch, removing a few bills from within. “As glamorous as your world is in movies and in books, it’s ugly on the inside. Turf wars were happening constantly and, if I’m not mistaken, they still are. Hoseok was good to me. In fact, he was great. But that charm and goodness wasn’t enough to keep me away from the one thing I treasure most in this world.”

She paused and Taehyung let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Once again, their eyes met and the deep purple glint that shined behind her glasses caused his lips to part slightly.

“My freedom.”

Raelyn stood up from her chair, laying the bills on the table. Taehyung jumped from his seat, almost knocking the chair over.

“Rae Noona, wait—”

“You’re cute, Taehyung-ssi.” She smiled at him; a genuine one. The same smile he’d seen her giving to her co-workers after they clocked out for the evening, time and time again. “But not cute enough to give up my freedom for.”

Without another word, Raelyn left him in the café alone. There was nothing he could say that would stop her in her tracks. In fact, everything she’d just said stunned him. After a while, he slowly sank back into his chair – staring at the seat she’d once occupied.

And then a slow smile crept over his face.

_ This just got _ ** _a lot_ ** _ more interesting, Raelyn Noona… _


	7. Serendipity

"I’m your tricolor cat,  
Here to meet you..."

Jimin sighed softly, scuffing the edge of his boots along the sidewalk. His breath came out in a soft translucent cloud, his eyes lifting at the streetlight just outside of the office building. There was a part of him that really wanted to leave, or at least get some coffee from a nearby street vendor. Seokjin, however, told him to be patient and wait. That this was worth standing out in the cold for. They’d been through worse so waiting around for someone in the chilly bite of Autumn would be a cake walk.

At least that’s how he was able to convince Jimin to even do this in the first place.

Then again, it wasn’t like he was going to say “no” to his Hyung either. Jimin was the sort of person who readily accepted a task that was given to him, no matter how big or small it may be. In a way, this also would cause him to take on more than what was necessary. Taehyung told him once that if he wasn’t careful, he was going to bite off more than he could chew and choke one day. But if he was helping the group and doing his part, then that was all that mattered to Park Jimin at the end of the day.

He just wanted to be useful.

Checking the time, he wrapped his jacket a little bit tighter around himself. It was getting colder these days and he wouldn’t be surprised if it snowed soon. _ In fact, didn’t the reports say that snow would hit in the next few weeks? _

Just as he was thinking this, the doors to the corporate office opened and several workers began to exit the building. Jimin pulled out his phone, making sure that he had the right picture up, and waited as everyone filed out of the office. After politely staying out of the way of traffic, he was able to spy the person he was supposed to meet. Thankfully for him, she hadn’t changed much in the last year or so.

Reaching out with his hand, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. A soft gasp left the woman and she looked up at him, green eyes fluttering in confusion as her honey wheat hair flew about her shoulders. She peered up at him through the lens of her glasses in what Jimin could only presume as her trying to figure out who he was. He’d changed his hair since she’d last seen him.

Then came the recognition.

“Jimin-ssi?”

Jimin smiled, thankful that she remembered him. That would make this easier for them both. “Hey Ana Noona. Long time no see, right?”

She nodded slowly, gripping onto her tote purse as he let her go. Ana brushed some of her hair out of her eyes, giving him the once over. “What’s going on, Jimin-ssi? Is it important because I have another meeting?”

He nodded, holding out his arm for her. “I’m here to pick you up for it.”

“Huh?” she said, unable to keep her head from tilting sideways.

Jimin smiled when she slowly slid her arm through his. “Your appointment? I’m here to pick you up for it.”

Ana pressed her lips together in a thin line while furrowing her brows. “My appointment is at an investment firm. Last I checked, weren’t you running with a bunch of gangsters?” The continued walking. “Did you decide to make a career change in the last year?”

Even though her comment was a little bit barbous, he maintained his smile. Mostly because he knew just how kind and honest Ana was. He’d known for years now and from what he’d found out, she hadn’t changed all that much.

She blinked and placed a hand over her mouth. “...I didn’t mean that how that sounded.”

Jimin gave her a warm smile. “I know you didn’t.”

Anastasia D’Angelo was a transplant to South Korea and she’d been there for three years. Out of those three years, one year was spent getting acclimated. After a few company parties and making friends on her own, she ran into Jungkook and they began a relationship shortly after. It was at _ this time _ that the others of the Golden Jackals were introduced to her. Jungkook was always about being honest and he didn’t want to hide what his job entailed, even from his girlfriend. The relationship didn’t last long - they were together for about eight months - before they both decided that it was better for them both to stop. Jungkook didn’t want to impede her drive to climb higher in her company.

They remained friends and there were a few times where Jimin and Taehyung were dragged out by Jungkook to go hangout or even pick Anastasia up versus taking a cab. As a financial advisor for her stocks company, Anastasia was a miser. She would pinch a penny wherever and whenever she could. Not that the boys minded - she was honest and that was ultimately what mattered to them.

Which was why Seokjin was absolutely determined to have her working for _ them _ instead of her current stocks company. And that was where Jimin was taking her. 

But she would find that out soon enough.

“And anyway, I don’t think that’s really important. I’m just supposed to take you to your appointment.” Jimin leaned in, practically pressing his nose to hers even though they were still walking. “Besides, did you _ really _want to go to another company dinner? I thought you were over that nonsense.”

Ana sighed, nodding her head resolutely. “You’re right. But you know how it is. I have to keep up appearances and all that bullshit.”

“Again,” he said slowly, looking at her as he slowed their pace some, “I thought you were over that.”

She puffed one of her cheeks out at him. “Well, what the hell _ else _ am I supposed to do?”

“You could always quit that job.”

They were completely stopped now.

“Ha!” she balked at him, unable to hide how big her eyes were getting behind her glasses, “okay, sure. And then I’ll have to move back to the States.” She shook her head. “I’d rather not.”

Jimin watched as she seemed to finally be taking a look at where they’d stopped at. It was only a few blocks away from her actual building. She probably hadn’t realized they’d walked all that way. Jimin urged her to release his arm so he could open the door, ushering her inside.

It looked like a standard office building, just like any other. The difference was the emblem emblazoned in the main lobby. A secretary looked up just as they entered and smiled to Jimin. He bowed his head politely and she buzzed them in where they were able to gain access to the elevators. Once inside, he swiped his keycard and pressed the number to the topmost floor. 

“Jimin-ah,” called Ana, dropping the polite form of address which, in turn, caused him to turn his head to look at her. She appeared genuinely confused and a little worried. “...do you really work here now?”

There was hesitation in her tone and it almost hurt Jimin a little. Not that he could blame her and he most certainly never would. But they weren’t just scruffy thugs anymore. They had bigger plans for themselves, just like Namjoon dreamed for them long all those years ago.

Reaching out to brush a few strands of her hair behind her ear, he smiled before gently poking her nose. She went cross-eyed for a second and he laughed. 

“Yes, I _ really _ work here.”

The elevator dinged and he guided her out of the elevator when the doors opened. There was a single corridor they had to walk down and a set of large, redwood double doors on the other end of the hall. Two large door handles were fitted on the outside and Jimin pulled one open so that Ana could enter. She gave him another look, clutching her bag a little bit closer to her body. He smiled, urging her to continue forward.

“It’s okay, Ana Noona. I _ promise_. Now, go inside.”

He watched her visibly swallow before smiling at him and then entering the door. When the door clicked closed, he took about three steps away from the door. In his mind, he pressed a finger to his chin and absentmindedly wondered how she would react upon seeing who was on the other side.

And then he heard the scream.

_ “W-Wait a minute!” _

Jimin stifled an outburst of laughter with his hand, settling himself on a nearby waiting bench. He pulled out his phone and opened up his reading app, picking up where he left off in the Webtoon he’d been reading. 


	8. Look Here

"Us meeting isn’t just coincidence.  
Meeting you was what I wanted."  
  


Anastasia took a deep breath as Jimin closed the doors behind her. When the soft _ click _ ensued, she stepped forward and noticed that the person sitting behind the large desk was not facing them. In fact, all she could see was the desk, the nameplate (which had traditional Chinese characters on it), and the back of the large leather chair. She cleared her throat in an attempt to get the person’s attention, but when there was no response, she decided to wait patiently until she was acknowledged.

This wasn’t America, after all.

Taking a moment to busy herself in the silence, Anastasia made a note of how big the office was. The floor was made of premium marble and the oak desk was clearly well-polished. There was a set of six black leather chairs, three on each side, around a black and marble topped coffee table. Another black leather chair sat at the head of the table just feet away from the desk situated on a slight riser from the rest. 

It was modestly decorated, dark green curtains framing a set of bay windows and French doors led to an outdoor balcony. A few pictures hung on the wall but there was a hand-embroidered image of a golden jackal situated on black canvas that was framed and hung over the desk. This kept her attention longer than it should have, but she couldn’t tear her gaze from it. Anastasia knew that she’d seen that before somewhere, but less ornate and less prominent. 

She could at least say that it was a lovely piece of artwork.

_ But where have I seen that from? _

“Long time no see, Anastasia,” came a voice suddenly, knocking her out of her thoughts.

Even though she hadn’t meant to, a soft squeak escaped her as she felt her shoulders jump. Anastasia lifted her purse up to her chest, clutching it just a little bit tighter as her eyes focused on where the voice came from. Blinking at the back of the chair at the desk, she watched as it slowly turned. It was like a scene from _ The Godfather_, and when the chair was fully turned around, there in the large leather chair was none other than Kim Seokjin. If he’d been holding a cat, he would have been Claw from _ Inspector Gadget _ and then she _ really _ would have fallen out.

“W-Wait a minute!” Her eyes practically bugged out of her skull. “Kim Seokjin-ssi, what are you doing here?!”

Pouty lips spread into a knowing smirk, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair while he steepled his fingers. “I work here.” He answered like she’d asked him a math question. “Or, rather, this is _ my _ company.”

Anastasia blinked rapidly, her lips opening and closing as a few stammering sounds spilled forth. “What did you say?”

His smile widened further. “I _ said _ that this is my company. I own Golden Star.”

She couldn’t believe it. There was no way that he was serious. Seokjin must have cashed in a favor and she was being played a fool. Someone was playing a prank on her! The Kim Seokjin that she knew was a gangster. All of his friends, the ones he called his brothers, were all gangsters. Weren’t they all running around trying to make a name for themselves, getting themselves caught up in the streets?

Her eyes lifted to spy at the art piece of the golden jackal. Their gang was known as The Golden Jackals. Anyone who was even remotely aware of the underground circuit knew of them and was also aware that they were an up and coming group. Their domain was the street, though. At least that was what Jungkook told her when they were still together before they ended their relationship.

So what had changed in that short amount of time? Had they been working on building toward this even back then?

Anastasia suddenly remembered why she was there. She was supposed to undergo an interview to see if she was qualified to be a financial advisor for another company. Not that she had anything against the stock exchange firm she was currently employed with. But she knew that there was limited room for her to grow and to really showcase her skills. Coming from a background that lacked money taught her how to utilize funds and how to properly shift one’s finances to benefit a company and to encourage its growth. This was her chance to finally climb higher and to stabilize herself without worrying about living from paycheck to paycheck. 

But this? There was no way she could have prepared herself for this.

Her moment of shock started to ebb away and she took a breath. Anastasia’s eyes narrowed and she frowned. “No.” 

Seokjin’s smile fell as he canted his head slightly. “What?”

“No way.” She pivoted on her heels and made her way toward the door. “There is absolutely _ no fucking way_.” 

Her hand landed on the door and she began to pull. However, instead of wrenching the door open like she’d anticipated, it held; resisting against her. For a second, all she did was blink - staring at her hand in disbelief. Had she been locked in? Again, she pulled - harder this time, and again, she was met with resistance. 

“What in the hell?” Anastasia began pulling more aggressively, using both hands and all the door did was rattle in response. “What the hell is happening?!” She swiveled around, ready to ream into Seokjin when she saw he was directly behind her. Anastasia let out a scream, pressing a hand to her chest as her back slammed into the door. “Wh-Wh-What do you think you’re doing?!”

Seokjin leaned forward, peering into her face. Her cheeks flushed and she mentally kicked herself for her own body reacting involuntarily. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was so close to her or if it was because she was halfway down the road of embarrassing herself. Or was she already there? Well, whatever the case, Anastasia didn’t appreciate him invading her personal space like that.

“I don’t know what’s funnier,” he said slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, “the fact that you’re spazzing out for no reason or that you’re pulling on a door that you’re supposed to be pushing on.”

“Huh?” 

What had he just said? 

Seokjin reached forward, gripping the handle of the door and he pressed the latch situated at the top. With a gentle push, the door swayed open. Anastasia peered over her shoulder and saw Jimin sitting on the waiting bench, thoroughly engrossed on whatever was on his phone. When the door opened, he looked up and then smiled - giving a pleasant wave to the two of them before going back to his phone. 

All she could do was blink in both parts amazement and disbelief. 

When it looked like Jimin wasn’t going to intervene, she saw Seokjin moving out of the corner of her eye. He reached forward, grabbed the handle, and then pulled the door closed. Anastasia felt it brush against her shoulder blade, her eyes never leaving Seokjin’s profile even as the door closed with a soft _ click_. His arm lingered there a moment longer before he straightened up to his full height. Some of his hair fell across his brow line and the lump that was unknowingly forming in her throat made her even more aware of their close proximity.

Seokjin normally wasn’t the type to invade another person’s bubble like this. At least from what she knew and of the few times they interacted with one another.

Finally, his smile returned and he looked at her. “Now then,” he began, turning to the side and gesturing toward the array of leather chairs with a wide flourish, “if you’d be so kind, can we get this little meeting underway?”

She felt his hand resting at her lower back and Anastasia’s legs moved unconsciously. What in the world was happening, exactly? Well, she couldn’t be sure. But before she could issue a protest, she was sitting at the chair closest to the one at the head of the table. 

“Can I offer you something to drink?” he asked, already making his way toward the area where various liquor decanters were situated. 

“Bourbon if you’ve got it. Whiskey if you don’t.” 

He chuckled while setting aside two glasses. “And if I have neither?”

“Vodka.”

This elicited a sudden laugh from Seokjin and he came back to the table, holding out the glass containing the amber liquid. Two cubes of ice were inside the tumbler and she looked at it before lifting her gaze to give him a curious look. He settled into the chair, his own glass filled with a similarly colored drink. His contained no ice. 

“I remembered that you’re a fan of bourbon. I was just teasing.”

Anastasia pouted, taking a ginger sip of alcohol while secretly thanking him for remembering to pour her drink on the rocks. After taking a moment to appreciate the smoothness of the booze, she set the glass down on the wooden coaster. She crossed one leg over the other, not caring that the toe of her shoe was brushing up against one of the table legs.

“Seokjin-ssi,” she said, her tone as serious as she could manage. He raised a brow at her as he drank. “What is this all about?”

He swallowed, setting his glass down. “I thought you knew what this was about. Isn’t that why you came out here?”

“I _ came _ because I was called about a financial advisor position.”

“Well, that certainly hasn’t changed, so what’s the issue?”

Anastasia felt the vein near her temple throbbing. “The issue is that I didn’t know this was your company!” 

“Is that a problem?” He smirked. “I didn’t realize me being the boss was a problem for you.”

“It’s not about you, dammit!” she snapped, her neck flaring up with the steady rise of her anger. “You know of my history with Jungkook and it’s not like I’m completely ignorant to who you guys are.”

Seokjin’s smile fell just a fraction. A thoughtful expression soon replaced it as he crossed his legs. “I thought you and Jungkook broke up mutually and are still on good terms.” He looked at her, a single brow raising. “Is that not the case?”

“Well, no, we’re still friends...but--”

“And if it’s the background you’re worried about, you can do some digging if you’d like. Golden Star is a legitimate company, Anastasia.”

“That’s not--”

“Then I guess I’m failing to see what the problem is.” Seokjin folded his hands in his lap. “Care to enlighten me?”

For one of the few times in her life, Anastasia actually had no words. None. It wasn’t like she despised the company of the Golden Jackals. She mostly hung out with Jungkook, Taehyung and Jimin. She could confidently say that they were her friends. Namjoon and Hoseok were nice and Seokjin was always a polite gentleman toward her. There was no _ real reason _ for her to be on the defensive.

And yet she still felt like she’d been sucker punched in the stomach.

She sighed, her hostility deflating as she sank back in the plush leather chair. “Why me?”

Seokjin’s smile returned. “Why _ not _ you?”

She scoffed. She couldn’t help herself. “Oh, don’t give me that, Seokjin. You could hire anyone. Especially if you can afford to run your business out of a building like this. It’s almost as big as the company I work for.” Anastasia gave him a pointed look. “I’m one of hundreds of office workers. I literally work from a freaking cubicle. I’m a damn dime a dozen.” Her accent was coming out and she hated it, but she knew that once she got rolling, there was no stopping her. “So _ why me_, Seokjin-ah?”

Anastasia was a professional 99% of the time. It was very rare that she wasn’t, especially when it came to her work. But when the polite form of address was dropped, when honorifics and protocol were thrown out the window, it was when she meant business. She loved her job and she loved the country she was now living in. If it was one thing she wasn’t about to do, it was jeopardize any of that for _ any reason _ at _ any time _ and not for _ any one _.

A moment of silence passed between them and Seokjin’s arms moved to rest on the arms of the chair. He steepled his fingers again, pressing them against his lips. Anastasia watched him as he tried to formulate the words that she needed to hear. If it was something she wasn’t okay with, her plan was to walk straight out of that office and not look back. Her career meant everything to her. _ Stability _ meant everything to her.

She wasn’t in the business of taking risks for no damn reason.

“You’re driven, Anastasia. You’ve always been like that.” He looked at her and she felt her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress pants. “The company you’ve been working for doesn’t know what to do with you. You’ve been with them for five years and three of those five years have been spent here. It’s unheard of for employees starting out to get reassigned to other countries. You’ve clearly got ambition.”

Warmth touched her cheeks and she wasn’t sure what to make of what he was saying. Were they compliments? He wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on her. It simply sounded like he was stating the facts. 

She remained silent as he continued.

“But you’ve hit a point where you’re not going to be able to move forward. You’re smarter than half of your co-workers but because you lack a certain set of connections, you’re at an impasse. You can’t move ahead and you can’t just go back.” Seokjin paused, his smile returning. “What if I told you that you wouldn’t have to worry about that here? I need someone who can keep this company financially on track but who also isn’t afraid to make a few risky moves if it means turning a higher profit.”

His offer was enticing. How could it not be? But while she was in the business of taking risks, that didn’t mean she was going to step out on thin ice if she was confident enough to swim in freezing waters. 

Reaching for her glass, she tried to appear unimpressed with his words. “What’s the pay?” Anastasia pressed the glass to her lips, letting the alcohol gently touch her tongue.

“Ten thousand dollars the first month.”

A mist of alcohol sprayed from her mouth. Anastasia began coughing furiously, her hand slapping her chest in an attempt to open up her airways so she could breathe. When she was able to gather her senses, she looked at Seokjin with eyes as wide as saucers. 

“...what did you just say?”

“And you’ll be getting an additional ten thousand dollar signing bonus.” Seokjin winked. “But that’s because I like you.”

She frowned, coughing one last time as her eyes narrowed. “Stop playing around.”

“I am dead serious.” 

“You’re crazy.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been called that and then some, but I can promise you that I am _ very much _ within my right mind on this.” His eyes met hers, the smile gone from his face completely. “So, what do you say? You in or out?”

Anastasia picked up her drink and drained the glass. Once she was finished, she stood up from the seat and looked down at him. “You’re only getting one chance to draw up a proper contract. If it’s not to my satisfaction, you can forget it.”

Seokjin stood, one hand sliding into his pocket. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” He looked like he’d already won and this made the muscle at her jaw tick. “I’ll have it sent to your place and you can look over it at your leisure.”

“Fine.” She slipped her purse over her shoulder and made her way to the door. “You’ve got three days, Kim Seokjin-ssi.” 

Anastasia pushed the latch on the door handle and pushed this time, the door swaying open easily. Jimin seemed to be waiting on her and he slid his phone into his pocket. He smiled at her cheerfully and she immediately puffed her cheeks out defiantly. Ignoring the arm he held out for her, she huffed her way down the hall. 

“I’ll see you in three days, Anastasia D’Angelo,” called Seokjin from down the hall. 

Jimin caught up with her and pressed the button to call the elevator. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get back downstairs without his clearance. But that was the only reason she was even waiting on him. As they stepped into the elevator, she saw Seokjin still standing in the doorway of his office. Just before the doors closed, Anastasia stuck her tongue out at him and she had to ignore the way her heart thumped as he laughed - watching him disappear back into his office.

As Jimin swiped his card, he pressed the main floor button. “Did you have a good talk, Noona?”

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Don’t you start,” she warned and he laughed. “You’re in trouble.”

He nodded, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “Yes, yes, I know,” he said, gently bumping her shoulder with his own. “Can I buy you dinner to make up for it?”

She folded her arms across her chest and huffed. “Black Bean Noodles or it’s no deal.”

Jimin laughed. “It’s a deal!”

A sigh left her as she side-eyed him, wondering how she wound up in this situation. She certainly couldn’t be mad at Jimin. He was just doing his job. But this?

Well, this was just something she wasn’t really prepared for. But one thing was certain. She would know in three days what her answer was.

Anastasia could play nice until then.


	9. Am I Wrong?

"Did I say something wrong?  
Did I lie?"

“Hey, Eden! When are you going to take a break?”

She grunted while shifting her back on the creeper, the wheels creaking as they slid along the concrete. Sweat clung to her brow and she attempted to swipe it away with her forearm. Eden could feel the bandana beginning to soak with sweat, but she refused to stop. Her grip tightened on the socket wrench in her hand, her other hand moving to swivel the under-hood light so she could get a better look at the various rods and pipes situated in the underbelly of the vehicle.

“Seriously, you’ve been at it for three hours straight.” Minki knelt and peered at her from beneath the vehicle. “You need to take a break.”

“Then _ you _ take a break,” she said, the heel of her boot scraping along the ground, “_I’m _ not stopping you.”

There was a collective chorus of groans that echoed in the shop. She smirked, ignoring the drop of oil that fell on her cheek. Eden knew that she probably did need to stop and take a moment. But she was stubborn. When she set her mind on something, be it a hobby or a work order, she always saw it through to the very end. She knew her employees were probably aggravated with her for always taking on the most complicated jobs, but succeeding in even the most impossible endeavors made her reliable. Reliability equaled reputation growth.

And a good reputation ensured a steady flow of regular customers.

Even though it was the 21st century, women in certain types of vocational fields were frowned upon. It was even worse in South Korea. At least in America, she only had to deal with the occasional discriminatory remarks. Mostly it had to do with her skin color and her status as an orphan. But here? Well, they judged her on her skin color, her social standing and her occupation. Triple threat – a term she’d been wearing as a badge of pride.

Maybe that was why she was surrounded by co-workers who were similar. Not necessarily due to the outward appearance, but all of them were relatable in a way. But if they were passionate about their jobs, then that was all Eden cared about. It’d taken her long enough to build up her shop and secure regular business. Now she could say, with confidence, that she’d achieved success on her own terms.

Yoon Minki, her assistant and one of her best friends, sighed as he grabbed at her foot and began to shake it back and forth. She lifted her head up so she could peer at him from just over her stomach. He looked like he was torn between scolding her or just giving up.

If she ignored him and went back to work, the former would start up.

Eden sighed, setting the socket wrench on her stomach. “What?”

“Food.” Minki emphasized this by shaking her foot again, this time with more force. “Now.”

“_Fine_,” she clipped, dragging the heels of her boots toward her so she could slide out from under the car on the creeper. Looking up, she saw her other employees grinning. Had she really been the reason they were waiting? She set the wrench down on the ground and stood up, dusting off the backs of her overalls. “Alright, let’s eat.”

Entering the main office, they all crowded toward the back room where there was a small kitchenette. Minki began setting utensils down around the table and Jumin started putting rice into the metal bowls. The side dishes were already out and the excitement at the prospect of finally eating could be felt all around the room. Eden pushed passed the others as they began to take their seats and Taejun kicked her chair out so she could slide into it. Hyuksoo ladled bean sprout soup into larger metal bowls and set them down in their appropriate spots. Everything smelled delicious and Eden felt a twinge of guilt. She really needed to stop hyper focusing when she was at work, otherwise she was going to starve her employees half to death.

Once the table was set, they all clapped their hands and began digging in.

The conversation circulated around the table and laughter boomed in the small break room. Eden nearly choked on the spoonful of rice she’d swallowed. Minki handed her a cup of barley tea and she washed down the rice and kimchi in her mouth, unable to stop herself from laughing at the insults being fired back and forth between Taejun and Hyuksoo. Jumin fussed at them for causing such a ruckus at the table and Minki joined in on the teasing.

The five of them were like family and Eden wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Her eyes lingered on her phone that sat just in front of her rice bowl. Eden’s smile fell as she lifted a spoonful of soup to her lips, as if she were anticipating it to light up. When it didn’t, she sipped the soup in frustration and set her spoon down roughly in the metal bowl. Minki seemed to notice something was off and he gently nudged her with his knee from under the table. Casting him a sidelong glance, she tried to play it off like it was nothing and resumed eating – her mind only half there with the boys.

The other part of it was occupied with thoughts of Min Yoongi.

It would be a lie to herself and anyone else if she said she still didn’t still have feelings for him. But there was a part of her that knew it probably wouldn’t last. After all, what would a self-made successful entrepreneur like Min Yoongi want with an orphan auto mechanic like her? He probably came from a good family and he’d even hinted that his parents were simple farmers who had tons of land out in the countryside. He’d merely gone into the business venture side so he could help his family more, so they could live more comfortably.

In other words, he came from the _ chaebol _ lifestyle on the rural spectrum.

Eden was only half Korean. Sure, that enabled her to have the same rights as Korean citizens thanks to the F4 visa she applied for when she first arrived in the country. Doing a little research, she was able to find out that her own mother came from a line of nobility. But that’s where all the investigation stopped. Eden didn’t want anything to do with it and she did her best to ignore her curiosity. If she dug up any more info and found out that she was some kind of _ aegissi _ to some line and would have to give up her current life, she didn’t think she’d be able to handle it.

So, she left it alone.

Even though Yoongi had grown close to her during those first three years, dating for two of them, Eden knew it would fall apart eventually. He was constantly coming and going from her life while she remained where she was, working and covering herself in oil and grease. She was a literal grease monkey and every time she made him wait so she could clean up before going out while he was always looking dapper, there was a twinge of guilt there. Eden knew that there were better women out there for him – someone that fit his status better than her.

There were moments when she even believed he was mostly amusing himself with her. Eden could have almost been content with that. Almost.

But she refused to feel ashamed of herself every time they went out somewhere. And she didn’t know many of his own personal social circles. Again, he was probably too embarrassed to bring her around. She wasn’t rich and while she finished college, she’d hardly call herself scholarly or an intellectual. If anything, Eden knew what kind of nerd she was, and it certainly wouldn’t have suited the tastes of any of Yoongi’s colleagues.

So when he showed up at her shop the other day after months of not seeing each other, Eden believed that maybe, just maybe, they would try to start over. That he would treat her as more than an impulsive drunken fling. Maybe they could do things differently…

Instead, she was offered friendship and no contact after nearly a week.

_ Is he jerking me around again? _she thought, irritation sparking at her temple.

No sooner had she thought that, her phone lit up and her heart leapt into her throat. As her eyes zeroed in on the screen, however, a different name popped up. Her placid expression transformed into mild annoyance. The “mutt” was being ever persistent.

**Petty Mutt: ** ** _Hey, you busy?_ **

Eden stared at the phone, her hands refusing to move to pick it up. Minki seemed to notice and he peered at the screen, his gaze lifting back up to stare at the side of her face. “You’re not gonna answer?”

She resumed eating as the screen went dark. “Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m eating.”

Minki snorted. “Right, because eating stops you from playing on your phone.” She could_ feel _ his shit-eating grin without even having to look at him. “Doesn’t stop you from playing those _ otome _ games.”

Eden aimed a swift kick to his shin and he half yelped; half laughed while leaning down to rub at his leg.

“Don’t talk shit about my _ otome _games,” she snapped, shoveling more rice into her mouth, “Sarutobi Sasuke doesn’t give me any grief like you fuckers do.”

“Psh, yeah right,” Minki said, still laughing, “like that can substitute a real relationship.”

“Real relationships are a joke,” she said while casting him a sidelong glance, “they only end in disappointment. At least if I’m not satisfied with an ending, I can just restart or delete the app completely.”

Her response came out colder than she’d intended. The table grew silent and she set her chopsticks down while the others looked at her cautiously. It wasn’t like relationships were a taboo topic in her circle. In fact, she encouraged it for the others. The last thing she wanted to deal with were lovesick issues while they were at work. If they were happy with their significant others, then that meant they would work hard so they could hurry up and clock out to be with them.

But for her, she just didn’t care for them. All it ever did was end in disappointment, leaving her feeling inadequate.

Her phone lit up again.

**Petty Mutt: ** ** _Fine, don’t answer me. I’ll just stand out here and wait until you come out._ **

Eden stood up, the legs of her chair scraping loudly along the floor. Everyone else jumped at the sound, clutching their rice bowls to their chests. She hadn’t meant to startle them, but she couldn’t help her seemingly involuntary reaction.

“That little shit,” she muttered, shuffling around the boys and making her way out to the shop.

Crossing the full expanse of the shop, she pressed the button near one of the garage shutters and it rattled to life – lifting slowly. Her eyes shifted to the ground and she could make out a pair of black and white Chucks nestled under the hems of dress pants. She watched the shoes shifting, as if the person were turning, and when the door slid up fully, she was greeted with the cheeky grin of Jeon Jungkook.

He waved to her, his silver rings reflecting off the setting sun just behind a few of the buildings from across the street. Eden folded her arms across her chest, not caring that she probably looked a mess. Her hair was pulled back in a braid that fell across her shoulder, her bright red bandana hiding the rest of her fringe beneath. Her work gloves hung out of one of the pockets of her faded overalls.

Jungkook pivoted on his heels, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he rocked back on the heels of his sneakers. This made her eyes narrow as he continued to beam at her, like he’d just found a mountain of gold or something.

“Why are you here?” Her tone was gruff and completely unwelcoming.

He continued to smile. “Isn’t it almost time for you to clock out?”

Eden’s arms fell to her side and she jammed her thumb into one pocket, resting her weight on her back leg. “And that’s your business _ how_, hm?”

“I wanted to walk you home.”

“You upfront about your stalking now?”

Jungkook pouted and she didn’t know if she was more irritated that he was giving her that expression or that she felt like she’d just kicked a puppy.

“Why you gotta be like that, Eden Noona?”

“Don’t call me that,” she said, stepping out of the shop. She pressed one of the buttons on the clicker in her pocket. The garage door closed behind her. “We’re not close enough for you to address me like that.”

His brows furrowed, a pained expression flitting over his features and her heart twisted inside of her chest. Now she really _ did _ feel like she’d just kicked a puppy.

“…sorry.”

Eden looked at his pitiful face and she groaned, turning her head away from him. If she didn’t look at him, maybe she wouldn’t feel bad for what she’d just said. “Forget about it.” She continued to look away from him. “What do you want?”

“I already told you that --”

“I don’t need you to walk me home.” Eden gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m a grown ass woman and can take care of myself just fine.”

There was a long stretch of silence between them before she heard him sigh. “…it’s because I’m a _ gangpae_, isn’t it?” He looked at her and she could feel the weight of his gaze on top of her. “You don’t want to be seen with some punk like me, huh?”

Eden felt a flash of anger explode across her chest. “That’s gotta be the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard,” she said loudly, “you take me for some kinda judgmental little --”

Her words were cut short when she saw Jungkook advancing toward her. Her eyes widened as he immediately began crowding her personal space, her back pressing against the metal garage door. He shot his arms out, his palms slamming into the door on either side of her head. Eden took a moment to search his face, to see if there was any rage or hostility there. But there was none. She heard a soft scraping sound around her ears and could see his palms curled into fists.

“Then why?” Jungkook wasn’t yelling, but she heard the desperation in his tone. “Why do you keep pushing me away?”

A lump was forming in her throat and she was doing her best to swallow it down. She wasn’t sure if there was an answer that she could give him that he’d be satisfied with. Especially since he’d been adamant about chasing her for _ months _ now. Eden wasn’t one to judge anyone for their background, considering what her own was. But she didn’t want to get hurt again. She didn't want to take the risk.

Jungkook had been persistent in his attempts to get her attention. She’d give him props for his tenacity. Most men would have given up. Most men _ had _ given up. And she honestly didn’t understand what he saw in her that day he brought his motorcycle to be serviced. But ever since then, he’d been in hot pursuit – taking it to new levels she’d never experienced.

Seriously, who would go out of their way to _ steal _a girl’s phone number?

He wasn’t ugly, he had a sweet smile and he was genuinely a nice person. Eden had seen it for herself. What asshole went around helping old ladies with their groceries, or made sure kids didn’t run out in the middle of the street and get hurt? Jungkook even smacked teenagers who were trying to play hooky, even going so far as to drag them _ back _ to school by the scruffs of their uniforms.

Him being a gangster had _ nothing _ to do with her pushing him away.

Regardless of why he lived the life that he did, why he _ chose _ that path, it held no precedence on her keeping him at arms’ length. She just didn’t want to get hurt. Not again. Eden knew what she was worth and knew what circles she didn’t want to be around. She knew that she didn’t want to deal with any bullshit and the last thing she wanted to do was tangle herself (or her heart) in a place where it would be difficult to climb out of. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place? No, she wasn’t about to deal with that shit again.

“It has nothing to do with you,” she replied, her voice softer than earlier, “I wish you’d get that.”

Jungkook leaned in closer, causing her to press the back of her head further into the metal surface. “Well, I don’t.” He continued to look at her with that hurt expression, inadvertently breaking her heart just a little bit. “I don’t get it at all.”

Eden sighed but said nothing. She didn’t know what to say and it wasn’t like she was against the idea of getting to know him better. He was stubborn as her, if not more so.

“Just…just let me walk you home?”

Lifting her eyes to meet his, she saw his gentle smile return even though his brows were furrowed.

“Please?”

The lump in her throat settled just a smidge. All she could do was look at him as he patiently waited for her response. She knew the smart thing to do was tell him to fuck off – to leave her alone and to never show his face in front of her again. It wasn’t like he hadn’t made it clear that he was attracted to her and it would be a lie if she didn’t find it a little flattering.

_ …oh, goddammit_.

“…fine,” Eden muttered, knowing that if she tried to come up with any sort of excuse, she’d flounder under his insistence, “I need to finish up the paperwork for today so just…” She paused, pointing at the ground. “You wait here, you got that?”

Jungkook pushed himself off the door, standing at his full height. He beamed down at her and Eden rolled her eyes before turning away from him to hide the warmth crowning her cheeks.

“Kay!”

She pushed the button on the clicker again, the metal shutters sliding up so she could step back into the shop. When she stepped inside, she slapped the button on the wall to close the shutter back behind her. Eden took about two steps before she was face-to-face with the rest of the boys, all of them clinging to their rice bowls and eyes wide as saucers.

She frowned. _ Those nosy little shits… _

“Get the fuck on!” she bellowed, pointing back to the break room area, “and clean the damn table!”

“Yes Ma’am!” they yelped, scrambling to the back.

Pressing the back of her wrist to her forehead, she sighed. “…why do I feel like I’m going to regret this?” 


	10. I'm Fine

"I’ll keep telling myself,  
Even if I fall down again...I'm fine."

Raelyn rarely slept.

Then again, it came with the territory. Just because a person had a certain shift that they were given didn’t mean anything. There were few professions in the world that “never sleep” and working in a hospital was one of them. The other, from what she understood, was television news broadcasts. Just like news staff, hospital personnel were always on call.

She didn’t mind it. This was the occupation she chose, and she wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Not even for a few more hours or sleep. Or hell, even _ one more _ hour of sleep.

But there were times, _ very few times_, where she would have made a deal with a demon if it meant getting just fifteen more minutes. Even five.

This was one of those mornings.

Raelyn didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but she could recite exactly how many hours she’d been awake.

Thirty-six, to be exact.

The very minute that the car accident victim was wheeled in through the ER entrance, she knew she was in for the long haul. On a normal day, she would have had just one more hour until her shift was over. Throw in one of her co-workers calling in sick and well, that pretty much summed up the next day and a half for her. If she wasn’t running around gathering all the medical information on the patient, she was administering sedatives and making sure everyone else was taking the right number of breaks so that they didn’t pass out when they were needed in a pinch.

It got a little scary around the twenty-ninth hour. Some of her fellow nurses didn’t think the victim was going to make it through the morning, let alone through the night. A few morbid cynics were _ actually _ taking wagers. In this line of work, sometimes you needed to make light of even the worst situations to get through it all.

Otherwise a person would go certifiably insane.

Once everyone was dismissed and assured that the patient was, in fact, going to make it, Raelyn felt like her bones were going to turn into jelly. She’d collapsed into a chair, the physical and mental exhaustion finally taking its toll. A few of the orderlies made sure she was alright, asking her if she needed to take a quick nap in one of the employee rest areas. But Raelyn knew her body. She needed a cup of coffee; just enough caffeine to get her back home so she could pass out for the next twelve hours.

Crossing the threshold of her modest apartment, she barely remembered hanging up her coat or even stepping into her house slippers. She didn’t even really remember stripping out of her scrubs, throwing them into the hamper, or even taking a quick five-minute shower. The only thing that really registered through her body was climbing into her extra-large sweatshirt and falling into her bed face-first. If her phone died in the middle of her nap, so be it. She was off for the next two days as per the orders of her supervisor.

Like she was even going to argue.

_ Beep. Beep. _

Raelyn groaned, rolling over onto her back while scratching her stomach. The soft beeping noise barely registered at the forefront of her mind. Exhaustion held strong, keeping her tethered to the bed and she pulled the mink blanket up across her body. Sometime in her sleep she’d pushed it off of her and instantly regretted it.

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

That noise again.

That goddamn noise again.

Her eyes slowly opened and she moaned, her vision attempting to focus. The stream of moonlight that slid in through the bedroom windows helped her to see better in the dark. Was she dreaming? This had to be a dream. There was no way she fell asleep that hard only to be woken up by some damn noise she could barely even hear. That was just crazy.

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. _

It was the buzzer from the front door.

“…you’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” she muttered, sitting up on her elbows to look around the room. Her eyes lingered to her nightstand, the digital clock’s red numbers mocking her of the time.

**4:27 AM**

She angrily threw the covers off her, almost tripping into her house slippers, before shuffling her way out of her bedroom and into the living room. Hands brushed up against the wall, attempting to feel for the light switch and the living room was flooded with a soft amber lighting. Raelyn had never been a fan of bright light and she had lamps everywhere – keeping the atmosphere ethereal and comfortable. It was easy on her eyes that way, especially when she didn’t have her glasses on.

Crossing the small distance to the front door, she reached up to the panel where the door camera was. Pressing the button, the screen lit up but all she could see was the top of someone’s head as they seemed to be leaning against the door. She watched as their hand lifted to press the door buzzer again and it was then that she noticed it was stained with blood.

Gasping, she unbolted the door and threw it open. A man practically fell into her arms and his sheer weight caused her knees to buckle slightly. Bracing most of her weight onto her back leg, she wrapped her arms tightly around the person before ushering them inside – her leg extending out to kick the door closed. When she heard the security lock latch and beep, Raelyn took a moment to see just who was in her house.

The silvery blue and black hair was unmistakable, and she nearly dropped him on accident.

“Taehyung-ah!”

He groaned, attempting to look up at her as he gave her a pained smirk. “Hey…Rae Noona…”

It was here that she was able to get a good look at him now that he was brought into the light. His right cheek was slightly swollen and showing tell-tale signs of bruising. There was a cut over his left brow, leaking a fresh red trail of blood down his cheek that began dripping onto the floor. Hand prints were left on his throat – angry red welts and small scratches from where nails had gotten hold of him.

The worst, though, was the injury around his stomach. The one he was clutching on to so desperately. Raelyn surmised that he’d gotten hit badly in his stomach. Maybe a group assault? She couldn’t be sure. She knew for certain that it wasn’t a gun. In South Korea, unless you were a police officer or military, civilians were prohibited from owning firearms.

That or if you were a hired assassin, but this wasn’t some damn action movie.

Hefting him up as best she could, she ushered him into the living room where she laid him down on the floor. His clothes looked a mess, like he’d been rolling around in the dirt. But his hand was still clutching at his stomach and she could now see the red stain blossoming across his shirt. Raelyn’s lips formed into a thin line and she stood up, making her way toward her bathroom where her emergency first aid kit was located. She then picked up her glasses from her nightstand and put them on. She was going to need her sight completely for this, she could already tell.

When she returned to the living room, she saw Taehyung attempting to sit up and she quickly knelt beside him – her hands on his shoulders and urging him to lay back down. However, as gentle as she was, her face spoke her anger in volumes.

“Lay back down unless you want to make my job harder,” she snapped once she was able to force him back down. “Let me see.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed but instead of moving his hand, his fingers curled into a fist to grip even tighter into his shirt. Raelyn had to resist the urge to growl at him, instead focusing her attention on opening the first aid kid. She could feel the onset of a migraine right near her left temple.

“Boy, if you don’t move your goddamn hand, I’m going to _ make _ you.” She glared at him. “Now _ let me see_.”

He seemed to be considering her words before he finally loosened his grip, his hand sliding off his stomach. She saw the injury and a wave of relief hit her. It was just a stab wound. Lifting his shirt up, Raelyn’s eyes inspected the wound before pressing two of her fingers around the cut. He hissed slightly, but that was to be expected. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep. But he was still going to need stitches.

Her stony expression remained. “I have to disinfect this and it’s going to hurt like hell. You want something to bite on?” She watched him shake his head as she soaked some gauze in rubbing alcohol. “Are you sure? This is your last chance.”

“Woman,” he grunted, half laughing as beads of sweat broke out across the bridge of his nose, “just hurry up and get it over with. I’m dying.”

Raelyn rolled her eyes. “You’re far from heading to your grave, I can assure you.”

Just as he opened his mouth to throw some other kind of smartass comment at him, she pressed the gauze to his cut and watched the bright white cloth immediately change to red. Taehyung yelled, clearly unprepared for her assault. But it served him right. She slept for maybe two hours before he showed up on her doorstep, bleeding all over her entryway. She wiped three more gauze strips over his stomach, moving his hand to cover the last one.

“Put pressure on this.” Raelyn began threading a needle. “Don’t move.”

“W-Wait a minute,” he protested, trying to sit up but she put her hand on his forehead and all but shoved him back down onto the floor. Taehyung coughed, clearly surprised by her strength. “Wow, your bedside manner is terrible, Noona.”

“Shut-up,” she said, her tone icy as she finished threading the needle. “You don’t get to bitch after waking me up in the middle of the night.” Dipping the needle in the rubbing alcohol, her dark eyes lingered on him for a moment. “Move your hand.”

“What?” He blinked up at her in disbelief. “You’re just going to go at it? Just like that?”

Her neutral expression didn’t waver. “You wanna bleed to death?” Needle still in hand, she pointed to her front door. “The door’s right there. Do it out in the hall.”

Taehyung coughed while trying to catch his breath. “You are _ so _mean.”

Now she pointed the needle at his face, right between the eyes, causing his eyes to cross slightly. “Keep it up and I’ll sew your mouth shut.”

Holding his hands up in surrender, he turned his head so he wouldn’t see her work. Satisfied that he was going to keep his mouth shut, Raelyn began stitching up his wound with absolute precision. It only took about fifteen minutes, but it was fifteen minutes of silence she appreciated. Sweat dripped from her brow and she quickly lifted her arm up to swipe at it with the back of her wrist. The stitches needed to be tight so that the scarring would be minimal. The _ last thing _ she wanted to hear was Taehyung bitching about how his oh-so-perfect abs had been marred.

Once she was finished, she placed some gauze to the injury and secured it with medical tape. He sat up, taking note of her handiwork, and she set aside the bloody rags and dirty needle to be tossed out. Closing the first aid kit, Raelyn turned to look him square in the eye.

“You’re fixed. Now get out.”

Without waiting to hear him out, she got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. She needed to wash her hands and probably splash some cold water on her face. Then she was going back to bed and she dared anyone to try and stop her.

Taehyung followed her. “Wait. That’s it?” She didn’t look at him as she threw the bloodied gauze and needle into the trash. “You just sew me up and throw me out?”

She didn’t look at him. “I’ll bill you later.”

Raelyn’s hand went to the faucet to turn it on, but Taehyung’s larger hand encircled her wrist before forcing her to turn around and look up at him. She could see her irritated expression reflected in his eyes as he, too, gave her an equally irate face.

“You’re not even gonna ask what happened?”

“I don’t need to ask. I’m not blind. I know exactly what happened.”

“And you’re just gonna brush it off like it’s nothing?”

“Like I said, I’ll bill you later.”

He frowned and while she appeared unaffected on the outside, Raelyn was infuriated from within. This was what she was talking about the last time she spoke with Taehyung. _ This _ was the kind of shit she was trying to keep away from her life. It was one thing to be a nurse and help someone who was bleeding out on an operating table when it was a stranger. It was a completely different issue when it was someone she knew. The life that Hoseok led, the life that the _ rest of them _ led, that violent path to claim dominion was something she quickly realized she didn’t want to be part of. It was undue stress. Especially since they were still trying to make a name for themselves.

It was why she broke up with Hoseok two years ago. He told her that it wouldn’t always be like this, but that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. Her past held enough scars. She didn’t want to add more to it by worrying about whether or not the person she cared for would get cut down at any given moment. And she sure as hell wasn’t about to become a liability for them either. Raelyn wasn’t going to keep Hoseok from the path he wanted to walk, but walking that path beside him was something she didn’t want to do. She wasn’t ready to. Hell, she didn’t think she’d _ ever _be ready.

And now Taehyung showed up, beaten up and bleeding in her personal sanctuary. Was he fucking crazy?!

“Look, Noona –”

“No, _ you _ look!” She yanked her hand free from his grasp, using it to smack his chest hard. He took a step back, blinking at her in surprise. “This is the kind of shit that I was trying to avoid the first time around, Kim Taehyung! Do you have _ any fucking idea _ what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night and have someone bleeding out on your doorstep?!”

She smacked him again.

“Wondering when the hell someone you care about is going to kick the damn bucket? Huh? Do you?!”

This time she punched his shoulder, her lower lip quivering slightly.

“I lost count how many times Hoseok would come here, beaten up and bleeding all over the goddamn place. And like you, he’d just laugh it off and promise me that things would get better.” Raelyn angrily wiped at her cheeks. “Well you know what? I got tired of waiting for things to get better. I fuckin’ told you this already and you just won’t listen!” Not wanting to look at his worried expression anymore, she buried her face in her hands. “You’re such a fuckin’ asshole.”

Raelyn took several deep breaths, refusing to lose it or cry. She had to stand her ground on this. Because if she didn’t, she was going to have to admit to herself that she cared. She told herself a long time ago after ending things with Hoseok that she valued her freedom more than anything else. Raelyn couldn’t afford to waver. Not now.

Silence seemingly stretched on forever between them and then she felt Taehyung’s arms encircle her in a warm hug. Biting her lower lip, Raelyn had to remind herself not to cry. Instead, she took three deep breaths and lowered her hands, inhaling softly. Taehyung smelled like Curve for Men and rubbing alcohol. She sniffed, collecting herself. Taking a step back, she noticed that Taehyung’s hands were resting at her lower back. Warmth touched her cheeks and she could feel an ache inside of her chest - an ache Raelyn was desperately trying to ignore.

She took another step back, clearing her throat loudly before reaching for a rag on the counter and shoving it into his hand. He looked at it curiously and she pointed to the door. “Clean up that mess you left in the hallway before the cops show up wondering what the hell happened.”

Taehyung grinned, the color coming back to his cheeks. “Can I make you breakfast to make up for everything?”

“I don’t care. Do what you want.” She watched him turn to leave the kitchen and head to the front door. “I’m still billing you later.”

A ghost of a smile touching her lips as Raelyn heard him chuckle just as he closed the door behind him. Once it clicked closed, she sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. This was going to be problematic. She could tell from a mile away.

Yet there was a part of her that just didn’t have the heart to turn him away. Not this time.


	11. So What?

"The dice has already been thrown a long time ago.  
If you hesitate, you might get swept away..."

Anastasia cradled her cup of coffee in her hand as she sat at her desk in her upstairs loft. She scrolled through a series of emails, work and non-work related. On her days off, she normally didn’t indulge in busying herself with work things. But it was the third day and she was feeling antsy. This was her fourth cup of coffee and she was only _ just now _ starting to feel the effects of it.

There were a few clients she was planning on getting in touch with about a few ambitious business ventures that she was hoping to steer them clear from. Not that she was above taking a few risks in her life. She certainly wouldn’t have gotten this far in her own company had she not impulsively taken the plunge. But she also didn’t believe in going “all in” unless there was a guarantee that success would be waiting on the other side.

Her eyes lingered on the screen for a moment longer, a low groan issuing from her throat. Anastasia couldn’t stop thinking about the offer that Kim Seokjin put on the table for her. It wasn’t like it was some chump change he was throwing at her. While she had to get her hands on the actual contract for her to be sure, Anastasia never earned that amount of money in an entire month. Double the amount and she could remember that that was what she would make in a full year when she first started out with her company.

Who said “no” to that much money?

_ No one, that’s who_, came the bitter thought.

She stood from her chair, picking up her phone while still holding her mug of coffee. Anastasia ignored the messy blankets on her bed. It was her day off and she didn’t feel like she had a need to straighten up. She’d already done laundry for the day and had every intention to lounge around in her pajamas all day.

In the back of her mind, Anastasia was hoping that Seokjin was just messing around. There was no way that he could afford to throw that kind of cash in her face. At least that’s what she wanted to believe. But then she thought back to a conversation she had with Jungkook back when they were still together. He’d been upfront about his association with the Golden Jackals. He was a gangster, plain and simple.

Blame it on her naivety, but she always believed that anyone associated with the mafia was rough around the edges, getting into street fights and being mowed down by guns. Sure, civilians owning guns outside of sporting and hunting was against the law in South Korea – something she was internally relieved and grateful for. People could get into brawls and, hell, if someone was persistent enough, they could kill with a set of metal chopsticks. But it curbed the violence significantly. When she’d started dating Jungkook, he always looked so put together and the rest of his friends, his “brothers”, were equally well-kept.

This was the glamorous side of the mafia, she guessed. Anastasia remembered the ridiculously large mansion Tony Montana had in _ Scarface _ or the deep family connections that were intertwined in _ The Godfather_. But this wasn’t some movie or book or television show. This was the real-life Korean mafia she was dealing with and, frankly, it hadn’t been so bad. Jungkook had been a gentleman and was always sweet to her. However, the feelings only stopped to a certain point and they both agreed that they were better off as friends.

But even in that short amount of time, Anastasia had seen the boys struggle from time to time. Not as much as they probably let on, but she’d still seen it. At least from Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook. She’d crossed paths with Namjoon and Seokjin by chance and she’d seen Hoseok at a glance. Yoongi was often gone, leaving on business trips here and there. Was that when things were starting to get better? When things were less dirty and leaning toward something more legitimate?

Jungkook told her once that they were trying to play it straight, but they just weren’t ready yet. It wasn’t time.

_ Is now the time? Is that why Seokjin offered that crazy deal? _

Making her way down the stairs from her loft, Anastasia sipped her coffee – her mind focusing on what the motive could be. And why her? Why did he seek her out personally for something like that? Was it because of her connection with Jungkook from the past? But they weren’t even together anymore. Why would that even hold any bearing on wanting to hire her to handle something as important as money?

_ Beep. Beep. _

Anastasia jumped, a soft squeak pushing from her throat as the door buzzer to her apartment sliced through her thoughts. For a moment, all she could do was stare at her front door and blink. She looked at her phone, noting the time but not seeing any notifications. No text messages. No missed phone calls. Not even any new email pings.

Maybe if she pretended not to be there, the person would go away. Besides, there was no way that Seokjin was able to put together a perfect contract in three days. She’d been in enough meetings and engaged in numerous business dealings to know that contracts were amended and changed until both parties were absolutely satisfied. Seokjin knew what he wanted from her, but that didn’t mean that he knew what she wanted from _ him_.

A handful of seconds passed, and she sighed – her body pulling toward the kitchen so she could start a pot of tea. No more coffee. She’d had enough. It was time to wind down.

Loud banging issued from the other side of the door and Anastasia jumped again, dropping the cup into the sink with a crash. The ceramic cracked down the side and she frowned as her coffee leaked into the sink and slid down the drain. Her lips pressed into a thin line, brows furrowing over her eyes. A few strands of her hair fell across the bridge of her nose before she blew them off her face in frustration.

She stalked towards the door, feet heavy even in her house slippers, and wrenched the door open angrily. “What in the ever-living fuck?!” she yelled, not caring if her neighbors protested. Clearly, her unannounced guest didn’t care about them either, what with them banging on her door like that.

On the other side stood Seokjin. He seemed unfazed by her outburst, holding out a manila envelope out to her as well as a brown paper bag. He must have stopped by somewhere on the way. Smiling, he waited for her to take either one or both from his hands.

“Breakfast?”

Blinking at him, she wasn’t sure what to make of this. Anastasia was expecting a parcel, not a personal visit. Part of her was a little impressed with his persistence, but then a spark of irritation jumped near her temple as her cheeks flushed a soft scarlet.

She was standing around in her sleeping clothes while he looked dressed to the nine. Like always.

He shook both things in his hands, the noise bringing her attention back to him. He continued to smile while Anastasia frowned, attempting to look indifferent at how Seokjin was now seeing her in all her unkempt glory. She snatched the manila envelope from him, pivoting on her heels and making her way back into the kitchen. Seokjin would surely be behind her and the resounding _ beep _ of her security lock only confirmed it.

He slid the bag on the small island in her kitchenette. Anastasia filled the electric kettle with water, pulling out two mugs. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of hearing her ask if he wanted tea. She’d just give it to him and dare him to be rude and not drink it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia watched Seokjin taking in his surroundings – as if he were appraising her interior decorating choices.

_Say something,_ she thought, _I _**_dare_** _you._

“I like your place, Anastasia,” he commented while folding his hands behind his back, still looking around.

“Thanks,” she muttered through clenched teeth. She’d never tell him that she appreciated his compliment.

The kettle whistled with life and she threw two oolong tea bags into the cups, pouring the boiling water over them. She set the steaming cup on the counter while cradling her own cup between her hands. Seokjin noticed the cup of tea and he smiled, reaching out for it as he bowed his head politely.

“Thank you for the tea,” he said, blowing the steam over the rim of the mug. Anastasia took a seat in one of the chairs at the counter and he sat next to her. “Enjoying your day off?”

She rolled her eyes. “Should I not be?” Sipping the tea carefully, she set it down off to the side so she could open the manila envelope. “I can’t believe you drew this up in three days.”

He gave an easy grin to her and shrugged one shoulder. “I’m a man of my word.”

“You gave me no such thing,” Anastasia responded with snark, opening the flap of the envelope and pulling out a stack of papers. Her eyes took note of how thick the contract was and she had to force herself to keep a neutral expression. “Jesus.”

“I left nothing to chance.”

She scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

Reaching over the counter, she fished around the container where some of her kitchen utensils were until he fingers grasped the handle of something. Pulling it forward, she flopped back into the chair and lifted the magnifying glass up to her face. Anastasia could practically feel Seokjin’s eyes boring into the side of her head.

“…you actually have a magnifying glass?”

Whipping her head to glare at him, she raised a brow. “Why? Don’t _ you _ have one?”

Seokjin laughed. It seemed he was unable to hold it back and he held his hands up in surrender before reaching into the bag to retrieve a few containers. “Take your time then,” he said, setting out the containers of fresh fruit, croissants, jam and a carton of orange juice.

“I _ will_, thank you.”

As he set himself to the task of putting breakfast together, Anastasia’s eyes moved back to the contract. All she needed to do was find _ one thing wrong _ and she could tell him to get to stepping. Sure, it was an offer that a person would be stupid to refuse. Anastasia wasn’t stupid. If anything, she’d been money hungry since she was a child. Her family kept pushing her to focus on a career that was stable – forcing her to ultimately give up on her dream to open her own restaurant.

Making money was easy, she learned. Managing money was a little more complicated, but not impossible. Maintaining a business that could see success for years to come? That was something she’d lacked when she first started out on the path to her dream. A path she stepped out onto faithfully and failed at walking on miserably. Business finance was her next step and she found that she had a knack for it and there was a darker side of her that loved the thrill of knowing how to handle large sums of money so easily – like they were handfuls of marbles.

Detail-oriented to the level of being a pest, Anastasia knew there was going to be a flaw. There was going to be a clause somewhere in that contract that wasn’t going to sit well with her. And when she finished stripping it down to the bare bones, she was going to send Seokjin packing.

But with each turn of the page, she felt her worries beginning to mount. Ten pages in and she hadn’t found anything misleading or dissatisfying with the terms of the contract. If anything, most of the details drawn up were in her favor. There was no penalty for breaking the deal once signatures were placed and if there was a breach of contract, it was the fault of the benefactor – the employer – and Golden Star would pay the price, as well as provide reparation and a hefty severance pay.

Overtime was given and any outside expenses were covered through Golden Star. Goosebumps peppered out across the back of her neck as a new realization dawned on her. From what the contract was stating, Golden Star was wanting to consolidate assets and merge several companies under a few umbrellas. They would invest in those ventures. All the companies were owned by people she knew.

They were all owned by the top-tiered members of The Golden Jackals.

“…shit.” Anastasia quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant for that to be said aloud.

Shifting her eyes toward Seokjin, he smiled as he handed her a plate with a croissant with cherry jam and a side of sliced apples and strawberries. “Something wrong?”

She hesitated at first before taking the plate from him, swallowing thickly as she set the plate down beside the contract. “No.” Her voice came out quiet and she turned to the last page.

All that was left was to sign her name. She looked to the left side of the paper to see that Seokjin had already signed his.

Seokjin leaned back in the chair, holding his mug of tea to his lips. “Is there anything not to your liking in the agreement?”

Anastasia set her magnifying glass down next to the plate, ignoring the soft _ clink _ it made when it hit the counter. She wasn’t sure she had enough words to properly convey what she was feeling. Hell, she didn’t even know what _ this feeling _even was. She rarely needed to read something twice, but even if she did, she already knew that she would not find anything wrong with the contract.

It was _ perfect_.

_ Dammit _.

She’d lost and she knew it.

Worse still? Seokjin knew it too.

Lifting her head to look at him, he finished his tea and moved to stand. Anastasia remained rooted to her seat, watching him pick up her cup and heading into the kitchenette. The sound of running water barely registered until the clinking of glass brought her out of her inner thoughts. Looking at him, she saw him shrugging out of his blazer so that he could roll up his shirt sleeves.

“Wait a minute,” she began, rising to stand, “what are you doing?”

He picked up the broken mug and threw it into the trash, then set to cleaning the dishes. It didn’t take him long and she watched him set the mugs in the drying rack near the sink. Grabbing a clean kitchen cloth, he dried his hands and rolled his sleeves back down while looking at her.

“Enjoy your breakfast.”

Really? That was _ all _ he had to say after all that? No bragging, gloating, or rubbing into her face that he’d succeeded where she believed he would fail?

She watched him slide back into his blazer, fixing the lapels of the jacket. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gave her a knowing wink, his legs moving toward the front door. He stepped out of the house slippers and put on his dress shoes, lacing them up swiftly and then turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

“So,” he said, his smile widening a measure, “I’ll see you in two weeks.” Seokjin’s eyes flitted down to the contract. “Bring that with you.”

And then she watched him leave her apartment. It wasn’t until the latch clicked and her security lock slid into place did she finally react. Anastasia fell back into her chair and stared at the breakfast he’d prepared, wide-eyed and amazed. Her eyes moved to the contract and that was when she snapped, baring her teeth and then grabbing the paperwork. She threw it into the air, a loud yell bursting from her lungs.

He’d gotten the best of her. Again.

Once she’d calmed down, Anastasia let out a long sigh. There was no reason for her to say no. There was nothing in the contract that bound her to the point of feeling like a prisoner. 

So, really, there was only one thing left to do.

Pulling out her phone, she began typing out an email.

She would need to schedule a meeting with her supervisor first thing tomorrow morning. 


	12. Stigma

"Are you calling me a sinner?  
What more do I have to say?"

_**Three Days Ago**  
__ Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District  
_ _ South Korea _

_ A soft _ ** _pop_ ** _ sound came from Taehyung as he pulled the sucker from his mouth, his eyes roving over the different wares in the district. Street vendors thrived in Myeongdong, as they did in most downtown districts, but he enjoyed the atmosphere of Myeongdong more than the others. It always seemed lively here, as well as in Itaewon. But Itaewon was also where a lot of the tourists went, and he wasn’t about to play “guide” for any of the non-locals. Even if some of them were kind of cute to look at. _

_ He was also playing a dangerous game. This wasn’t Golden Jackal territory. Hell, this wasn’t even White Snake territory where Dongwook Hyung’s entourage claimed home. He wouldn’t have cared about that, even if it was. Jungkook and Yoongi Hyung did a number on his group when they came trouncing through Gangnam – watching as they ran with their tails tucked between their legs. _

_ No. This was Jade Fang territory. _

_ Like the Golden Jackals, the Jade Fangs were a group of young, up and coming gangsters. Their leader, Im Changkyun, had a few dark rumors swirling about him. There was a stigma that came with being a _ ** _gangpae_ ** _ , but he knew Hoseok Hyung was doing his best to stray away from that. Especially since they were planning on going straight. But Im Changkyun didn’t care about that. He wanted to devour every district in his path, destroying all obstacles and eliminating any possible forms of opposition. He didn’t even bother attending district head meetings because he felt they were beneath him. _

_ He was a real son of a bitch as far as Taehyung was concerned. _

_ “Well, well, well,” came a voice through the crowd, “if it isn’t the Shadow Claw, Kim Taehyung.” _

_ Taehyung stood up to his full height, slipping the candy back into his mouth as he tried to pinpoint where the voice came from. The stick poked out from his mouth and he grasped at it with two fingers, watching as six men approached him dressed in business casual. Pedestrians parted the way, some scurrying off the side as they made it obvious they didn’t want to get caught up in the chaos that was surely about to ensue. _

_ He wasn’t surprised that his reputation was well-known. All the upper ranks of the Golden Jackals were known by name. Taehyung, however, was called the Shadow Claw because he could meld in and out of a crowd. He struck from the shadows and disappeared just as quickly, like an actual thief in the night. He was rarely caught off guard. _

_ Well, until now that is. _

_ A single brow raised slowly and he mentally cursed himself for not agreeing to let Jimin tag along with him. He even offered to postpone his business trip to Jeju Island a few more days when Taehyung made it known that he was going to go on a little scouting errand. He’d reassured Jimin that he would be fine. He’d be in and out, quick fast and in a hurry. No one would know that he’d even been there. _

** _Shit_**_, he thought, rolling his shoulders back as they formed a semi-circle in front of him. _

_ His back was to the street vendor and he could hear them quickly shuffling around. They were probably gathering their things so that they didn’t have their merchandise ruined. It was certainly a smart move. Taehyung grinned, flashing a boxy grin for half a second, then continued sucking on his candy. When he saw two of the six revealing the bats they’d had hidden behind them, he pulled the candy from his mouth and rocked on the heels of his shoes. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes while shaking his head. _

_ “Yeah, that’s me,” he said, confidence clear in his tone, “who’s asking?” _

_ The one who spoke grinned wickedly, his dimples showing as he reached into his pocket. “Lee Jooheon, the Yellow Jacket.” _

_ Taehyung’s eyes never left his and he watched him like a hawk. With a flick of his wrist, his hand came out of his pocket and in his hand was something black and silver. He whirled it around with a flourish that showed his expertise in handling it and when his hand finally stopped moving, the distinct _ ** _shhk _ ** _ practically screamed over the noise of the streets – the blade to the butterfly knife shining beautifully. _

_ There was a pregnant pause that stretched between them before Taehyung clapped a fist into his palm, his face showing clear realization, albeit mocking. “Ah, from the Jade Fangs,” he said, then nodded. “Mmhm, I thought you looked familiar. It’s been awhile.” _

_ Jooheon rolled his neck, his dark brown hair falling over his brows. Taehyung couldn’t help but find amusement in his dimples and he chuckled at the urge to want to poke at them. God, he was such a little shit but he already knew what kind of situation he was in. Crossing into Jade Fang territory was a no-no, but that never stopped him from doing it before. He’d just never been caught. _

_ And now? Well, now he would need to come up with something clever. _

_ “You’re a little far from home, aren’t you Taehyung?” Jooheon shifted his weight to the other foot. “You know this is Jade Fang turf. What gives?” _

_ Taehyung gave a slight shrug. “I was curious.” _

_ “This isn’t the first time you’ve trekked your dirty feet into this place.” _

_ “What can I say? I like a little danger every now and then.” _

_ “Well,” Jooheon said with a scoff, “you’ve definitely found it.” _

_ Taehyung took a step back, the back of his calf brushing up against the vendor’s table. He held his hands up to show that he wasn’t trying to stir up any shit. “Look fellas,” he said lightly, “let’s not cause a scene. You guys just look the other way and I’ll be on my way. Whaddya say?” _

_ Jooheon laughed and the others laughed with him, taking a step forward. “We already looked away enough times. This time? Well, we’re going to give you a little reminder of whose house you just walked into.” _

_ “Well shit,” he muttered, taking another step back so that the table shifted on the ground, “guess you leave me no choice.” _

_ He pivoted on his heels and jumped over the table, hearing the others scurrying behind him. He leaned over and upturned the table to serve as a shield. Once it obstructed their view, he thrust a kick into the bottom of the table and sent it sailing out. He heard it make contact with someone, but he knew that someone wasn’t Jooheon. Not wanting to waste another second, he vaulted over the fence and tore through the brush, barreling through the park as shouts of outrage roared out against his back. _

_ He'd managed to make it several yards before a hand grasped onto the collar of his jacket. His arms went backwards and he slid out of his jacket, spinning on his feet to aim another kick into the gut of the person who’d caught up to him. He watched his jacket fly into the air while the other person hit the dirt and Taehyung snatched it out from mid-air. Not wasting time trying to put it back on, he turned to run again only to be stopped by two more of Jooheon’s group blocking his path. _

_ One swung the bat at him as Taehyung skidded to a halt, his body bowing backwards to dodge the blow. The other aimed a punch to his ribs and he barely managed to block it with his forearm. Curling his body forward, he lunged out so that he could shoulder slam the one who’d tried to punch him. He felt fists crash into his back and he grunted. However, it wasn’t until the bat came down on the back of his knee did his legs finally buckle. _

_ Using the force of his body, he shoved the guy in front of him out of his way and then spun around on his back leg to aim a jump spinning back kick into the guy holding the bat. It clattered to the ground in tandem with its wielder as he crashed to his knees. Two more came running toward him, further blocking his exit. Taehyung used the guy on the ground as a stepping stool, jumping onto his back so he could aim two kicks at his assailants. They flew back, crashing into the ground shoulder first, and Taehyung stumbled forward as he landed unevenly on his feet. _

_ Looking behind him, he saw the four of them trying to get back up and he grinned. Just as he was about to launch off into a dead run, he was stopped by Jooheon. There wasn’t enough time to stop or even dodge and before he knew it, pain exploded into his side. Taehyung looked down and saw that Jooheon managed to shove his knife into his stomach, pushing it in all the way to the small silver hilt. A gasp of pain was all Taehyung could issue before someone’s fist crashed into his temple. The skin broke and blood flowed freely. He tried to aim a punch to Jooheon’s face and failed as he blocked, stepping forward and forcing Taehyung back a step. Jooheon shoved his hand away and crashed his fist into Taehyung’s cheek, forcing him to fall to the ground – taking the knife with him. _

_ He inhaled dirt and coughed hard, his fingers digging into the grass as he tried to get back up. He was suddenly assaulted from all sides, several heels slamming into his back and sides. A kick crashed into his gut and he coughed hard, blood and spittle staining the ground. He growled, forcing himself up and as he did, he threw dirt in a wide arc. Hisses and yells of pain issued soon after and he rolled as far away from them as he could, scrambling to his feet and tearing off into the thicket of trees in the park. They gave chase but he was fast, his adrenaline kicking his speed into overdrive. _

_ Running through the park for several minutes, he dodged and dipped through several dark blind spots. When the threats seemed further and further to his back, Taehyung dipped to the street and hailed a cab. Without bothering to give a destination, he just told the cab driver to hit the gas and to get him out of Myeongdong. _

_ He painfully slipped his jacket back on, trying to button up the front so that the tell-tale sign of his injuries wouldn’t be obvious. He didn’t need the driver asking any questions or trying to take him to a hospital. Vision hazy, there was only one person he knew he’d be able to see. _

_ Just one… _

* * *

**** **_Present Day_**  
_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _ South Korea _

“hyung-ah. Taehyung-ah!”

Blinking, he looked up – meeting the concerned eyes of Jimin. He grinned, tilting his head to the side slightly. “What’s up?”

“What’s up?” Jimin frowned. “What’s up?! You went strolling through Jade Fang territory, that’s what’s up!”

Taehyung shushed him, waving his hands back and forth. They decided to have lunch at a traditional Korean tea house. Several patrons looked at the two men and they both bowed their heads politely, waiting for the other customers to resume their own conversations and dining before looking back at each other. Taehyung lifted his cup of green tea to his face, trying his best to ignore the look that Jimin was giving him.

“Why do you have to be so dramatic?”

He saw Jimin’s brow twitch with annoyance. “After what Hoseok Hyung said, you think I’m being _ dramatic?_” Taehyung nodded and he hissed when he felt Jimin’s foot connect with his shin. “He told us to keep our guard up and you had to go and get your ass caught in enemy territory.” Jimin seemed unfazed by the pout that Taehyung was giving him. “What were you even _ doing _ there?”

“I was scoping the place out.”

Jimin blinked. “…are you out of your mind?”

Now it was Taehyung who was flashing an annoyed expression. “What? We’re better than those fuckin’ punks. Hoseok Hyung could own that area and run it with his eyes closed.”

He heard Jimin sigh as he set his teacup down. “So what? You want to start a turf war with the Jade Fangs? Taehyung-ah, come off it.”

“You think we can’t do it?”

“No,” Jimin said, pointing a finger at him, “the point is that we _ shouldn’t _ be doing it. We’re trying to go straight, Taehyung-ah. That whole gang war shit is behind us now.” He sighed again and Taehyung folded his arms over his chest. “We had enough of that five years ago. Haven’t _ you _ had enough? Aren’t you tired of it?”

Taehyung opened his mouth to retort but felt he couldn’t when he saw the look on Jimin’s face. It wasn’t pity and it wasn’t anger. It was disappointment. It was a face that he often made when Taehyung did something selfish and so completely unlike himself.

Feeling the anger deflate from him slowly, he groaned before roughly rubbing his hand through his hair. He couldn’t win against Jimin. Not when he looked at him like that. “…yeah, you’re right.”

Lifting his gaze to meet Jimin’s, he smiled when he saw that he looked a bit more pleasant. Suddenly, his phone chimed. Looking at the screen, Taehyung grinned when he saw that it was from Raelyn. Swiping his thumb over the screen, he opened her message and blinked several times before laughing loudly.

**Rae Noona: ** ** _1,170,080₩ - that’s how much your little house call is gonna cost you._ **

Wow. She _ really _ billed him.

“Who is it?”

Taehyung began texting his reply. “Raelyn Noona.”

**Tae-Tae: ** ** _Paypal or Venmo?_ **

“Huh? You mean Raelyn _ Hyungsoo-nim,_” Jimin asked in disbelief, “Hoseok Hyung’s ex-girlfriend, Raelyn Briggs?”

He nodded as she sent him another reply.

**Rae Noona: ** _** Paypal charges so make it 2,340,240₩.**_

“…you really _ are _ crazy, Taehyung-ah.” He heard him sigh with exasperation. “Don’t you have enough women clawing after you? Why do you have to look at Hyungsoo-nim?”

“She’s not our Hyungsoo-nim anymore, Jimin. Hoseok and her ended things awhile back.”

**Tae-Tae: ** ** _I’ll just give it to you in cash._ **

**Rae Noona: ** ** _…no, just Paypal it. I don’t want to see you._ **

**Tae-Tae: ** ** _See you when you finish your shift! ; )_ **

He put his phone in his pocket and shrugged, lifting the cup of tea from the saucer. “Besides, if I have to get down on my knees and beg Hyung to even let me hang out with her, then he’s not the Hoseok Hyung we know anymore.”

Jimin pursed his lips together, his worry etched clearly on his face. But he knew his Hyung well enough to know that when it came to his friends, his brothers, Jung Hoseok wouldn’t let that be a wedge to come between them. He always had a good handle on his feelings. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to lead them as long as he had.

Taehyung would have _ never _ called him their “Boss”. 


	13. The Truth Untold

"I can’t show you my weakness,  
so I’m putting on a mask to go see you."

_ Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District  
_ _ South Korea _

Eden felt her shoulder being nudged playfully and she groaned, her thick curls falling about her shoulders and ears as Raelyn grinned at her. The other woman practically bounced up and down in her seat, her glasses giving off a slight shimmer as the mid-morning sun hit the lenses. The taxi eased on down the road and she sighed, propping her elbow on the window and resting her cheek against her knuckles. As she watched the city go by, she could only grin as Raelyn chatted about all the things they were planning on doing when they finally stopped. After they ate, of course.

They could have driven to Myeongdong. Eden’s car could drive this week. Some might have found the odd-even license plate rotation law a bit of a hassle, but she could understand why. It cut out on heavy air pollution and on days when the air was bad and dust was more prevalent, the need for less vehicle traffic was essential. Raelyn insisted they just take a cab so Eden wouldn’t have to worry about parking. It was a fair argument and since Raelyn was offering to pay for the cab both ways, she wasn’t about to argue with her.

When the cab finally dropped them off at their destination, Eden stretched her arms over her head and rolled her shoulders back. She noticed that Raelyn took a moment to surmise her surroundings, as if she were looking for something. Eden watched curiously, stuffing her hands into her bomber jacket as she scuffed the heels of her Converse along the sidewalk.

Satisfied that she hadn’t seen anything, Raelyn smiled to Eden and quickly ran up beside her – immediately looping her arm through hers as they walked into the café. They both ordered their lunches and, of course, their coffee (extra milk and sugar because it was their day off and they could do these things).

The two of them sat down and talked idly about work. It was usually the first thing they did. Eden didn’t envy Raelyn’s job; not one bit. Overseeing people’s lives or having to be the one to tell a family member bad news didn’t sit well with Eden’s stomach. Cars and motorcycles were easy. They didn’t talk and if something went wrong, it was usually a mechanical issue that was out of her control. Machines weren’t built to last forever.

Then again, people weren’t either.

The conversation soon switched to lighter topics: what movies they’d seen recently and if they were caught up on the latest K-Dramas. The two women spoke English to each other freely. They rarely used it in their day-to-day lives. But when they were together, they shared conversations in their native language with smatterings of Korean. Eden remembered how relieved she was when she’d first met Raelyn. They were both transplants and while Eden was of Korean heritage, she was half African American. They’d both had rough lives and became fast friends. Their hours were a little weird compared to other working individuals, but they always made time for each other at least once or twice a week.

It was a nice friendship to gain after she’d been dumped by Yoongi shortly beforehand.

“So, what’s the latest?”

Eden raised her brows, tilting her head slightly. “Huh?”

“You know,” Raelyn said, smirking, “with the ‘Petty Mutt’ and all. How is that going?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started.”

Raelyn laughed. “That bad?”

“It’s not bad, Rae Unnie. It’s just, fuck, I don’t know.”

“What’s not to know?”

“I didn’t want to get involved with anyone else after things ended between Yoongi and me.” Eden shrugged, lifting the cup of coffee off the table. “I just don’t think I’m ready to be with anyone like that.”

Raelyn’s brows furrowed as she looked at her. “It’s been almost two years now, Eden. You need to think about yourself and not worry about anything else.” She sipped from her cup. “He asked to be friends, right? Then that means that he’s drawn the line.”

Eden sucked her lips in between her teeth before releasing them with a _ pop_, resting a hand to her temple as their orders were brought out to them. Raelyn was right. When Yoongi offered to “just be friends”, it was clear that boundaries were finally being set. He’d ended things on his terms and while Eden knew that things between them had gotten a little rocky, she just figured they would work through them like they always did.

Then again, he didn’t go out of his way to introduce her to any of his actual friends. Business colleagues here and there, but when they went out – just the two of them – it was usually sequestered away from the rest of the world. Eden always believed it was because Yoongi wanted to keep her all to himself; taking her to the mountains during Winter to a private cabin, out to the coast of Busan where they could relax at lovely villa. In the summer, they went to Jeju Island to enjoy the quiet and solitude.

They rarely went out in Gangnam and when they did, it was for dinner or a movie and then he would always crash at her place. She remembered how embarrassed she’d been when he first asked to come over to her house when she’d been feeling ill. She tried to tell him not to bother with it; that she’d be fine after drinking some soybean soup and sleeping. He’d brought her medicine, soup, and bought her an extra mink blanket to snuggle into since she lived in the rooftop apartment.

Had it all been a lie? Had it all been just his way of messing around with a foreign girl? He’d gotten bored with her and tossed her aside when he’d finished amusing himself with her?

Her fingers curled into the ceramic mug, her nails scraping along the surface. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Raelyn must have known she’d struck a nerve because she instantly reached across the table to grab her wrist. Eden blinked back the angry tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Girl, listen to me,” she said, her voice gentle, “you are a catch, do you hear me? If he wants to let that go because of whatever excuse he gave you, then that’s on him. That doesn’t mean you have to deny happiness for yourself.”

Eden’s blurred vision righted and she gave a small laugh. “You sound like one of those cheesy self-help books, Unnie,” she teased.

Rae lifted her chin proudly and winked. “I have to find something to do when I’m working those extended hours at the hospital.”

“Wow, and she _ admits _ to reading cheesy self-help books.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Scoffing, she waved her hand back and forth as she picked up half of her sandwich. “No thanks.” The lettuce crunched when she bit into it and she waited for Raelyn to finish chewing before talking. “So, what about you? You haven’t dated anyone since you broke up with Hoseok.”

Raelyn snorted. “I’m not a fan of having work stress follow me everywhere I go.”

“It’s true though, right?”

“About what?”

Maybe she shouldn’t be poking at this topic, but Eden had always been curious. “That you were a mafia boss’s girlfriend?”

She watched Raelyn’s eyes go wide as she coughed loudly. Eden’s brows raised when she saw her friend waving her hands back and forth – like she’d spoken some forbidden phrase and now the floor was going to open beneath them; sending them straight to hell.

“W-Where did you even _ hear _ that from?”

Eden smirked. “I’ve been here longer than you, Unnie. Anyone who lives in Gangnam knows all about the Golden Jackals’ leader, Jung Hoseok.” She took another bite of her sandwich, savoring the surprised look on Raelyn’s face. “Rumor has it that he had an American girlfriend for about a year before things ended between them.”

Raelyn pouted. “Who said you could just _ know _ all that about me?”

She gave her a ‘yeah, right’ face before swallowing. “Do you even know _ where _ I work, Unnie? People talk and Koreans are the best sort of gossips. I never would have figured that you were that same Raelyn, though.” Eden watched as Raelyn stirred her coffee when another thought hit her. “Wait. Is that why you were looking around when we got out of the cab? Because you’re a former Hyungsoo-nim?”

The older woman hissed at her, telling her wordlessly to hush up. “Not so loud, would you?”

“If you knew that, why did you want to come _ here _ of all places to go shopping?!”

“Because I can’t let that be a brand on my back forever, Eden, okay?!”

Eden opened her mouth to tease her but saw how serious Raelyn was and closed her mouth.

“We already have enough shit to deal with in this country. You should know that better than anyone. Do you think I want that shit following me around like some dark rain cloud while I’m here? So some bastards can show up at my hospital and stir up chaos; at a place of healing?” Raelyn sighed. “I can’t stay trapped in Gangnam forever. I should be able to walk and shop and travel wherever I damn well please. I’m a free woman and that means I shouldn’t be scared to go into some other mobster’s turf.”

“Unnie…”

“I need to know if I still have my freedom, Eden.”

Eden knew what she was getting at. She understood it completely. The stigma that existed with their skin color and even their backgrounds made things harder for them in South Korea. It didn’t make them love the country any less. It was just a reality they’d come to accept. Eden had to thicken her skin up even more when she finally decided to move to the country of her mother’s origins. She needed to do it in order to survive in this place.

The two women managed to move the conversation back to lighter topics. Their phones pinged various notifications from others trying to contact them but both women chose to ignore the messages. They were out there to spend time with each other and that was all. They didn’t want any other unnecessary distractions derailing their day.

They visited a few shops, bought clothes and a few things at the electronic shops. Eden bugged Raelyn to stop by the nearest _ manhwa _ shop so she could buy a few more comic books to tide her over for the next week. Raelyn made a fuss, but she wound up purchasing all of _ The Bride of the Water God _ series for herself. Eden teased her relentlessly as they continued strolling through the heart of downtown Myeongdong.

After their matinee movie, it was getting close to dinner time. Neither of them wanted to go to an actual restaurant, opting to hit up a tent house instead. The women ordered beer and soju for their table, a side of pork belly with lettuce, rice and soybean paste. Eden busied herself with mixing their cups – half soju and half beer – before handing the older woman her glass.

“Cheers!” they said, clinking their glasses together.

The two drank, ate, and laughed loudly. They didn’t care if others were paying attention to them. This was one of the few times that Eden allowed herself to cut loose. However, their laughter was interrupted by the sound of cups slamming on a table clear on the other side of the tent house. All other patrons quieted their conversations and Eden looked over to where the noise came from.

Several men were seated at a table, drinking and eating just like they were. One of them had a clearly aggravated look on their face – his face a little pudgy and pink from the alcohol he had consumed. In fact, they all looked a little similar, though that might have been the alcohol in Eden’s system playing tricks with her. One face stood out among them, however, and he seemed unbothered by what was happening. His chestnut bangs fell over his brows and he lifted his shot glass to his lips, drinking quietly.

_ He looks like a woman, _ Eden thought bitterly before huffing to herself, her hands busying themselves with folding meat into lettuce once it was off the grill.

“You women are so fucking noisy,” growled the one who’d made all the noise. He spoke in English, attempting to sound intelligent and failing. She caught Raelyn rolling her eyes while she poured herself another drink. “Some of us don’t want to hear your stupid cackling. You sound like a couple of chickens.”

Eden stuck her middle finger up at him. “Then stuff your ears with cotton, you fuckin’ prick,” she fired back in Korean. A slow smile formed on her lips. “Better yet, go play in traffic, you wild boar.”

Two of the men shot up from the table, knocking their chairs to the ground. “What’d you say?!”

“Did I stutter? You got rocks in your ears?”

“You little bitch!”

“Knock it off,” said one of the men at the table. Eden eyed him and watched as the two men picked up their chairs and set them back upright. It was the one who looked a little feminine. “Making all this noise unnecessarily. It’s disgusting.”

They bowed their heads. “Sorry, Hyung-nim.”

The one they called ‘Hyung-nim’ looked at Eden and Raelyn, a lazy smile crossing his features. “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

Eden scoffed, pouring what remained in her soju bottle into her glass. “No thanks,” she snapped, “we can buy our own.”

“It’s only polite. Especially since the Golden Jackal’s Hyungsoo-nim is present.”

A bottle crashed to the floor and Eden looked up to see Raelyn’s face reddening slightly, which was a feat considering her darker skin tone. She could see her friend’s face contorting between anger and worry and this infuriated Eden. The mixed girl cut her eyes to the man whose own facial expression hadn’t wavered. Not one single bit.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said sweetly, “I meant _ former _ Hyungsoo-nim.”

Eden’s hand slowly went into her jacket pocket, her fingers caressing the handle of her switchblade. The man clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, waving a finger back and forth as he continued to hold his shot glass.

“I wouldn’t try anything funny if I were you.” He shrugged, downing the shot and setting it down. “There’s no sense in getting hostile.”

“If you even _ think _about touching my Unnie,” snarled Eden.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s not like she’s tied to that group anymore.” His smile grew just a hair and he looked directly at Raelyn. “If she still were, well, we would be having a very different conversation right now.”

There was a long stretch of silence that permeated the tent house. Everyone in the establishment was afraid to breathe. At least everyone that wasn’t involved in the conversation currently passing between them. Because they all knew who was sitting at that table. Everyone knew whose territory this belonged to.

“So which Jade Fang are you?” said Raelyn calmly, breaking the silence.

He bowed his head politely toward Raelyn. “Yoo Kihyun,” he said before lifting his head up, “the Mongoose.”

“I see,” was all she said before standing up from the chair. “Eden, let’s go.”

Eden stood up quickly, almost knocking her chair over. “Rae Unnie, we can’t—”

“_Let’s go_,” she snapped, looking pointedly at her, “_Now._”

She balked at Raelyn because she’d never spoken to her like that. Angrily, the mixed woman kicked her chair before throwing a wad of bills onto the table. Raelyn was the first one to leave but just as Eden was parallel to their table, she paused to glare down at Kihyun. He merely smiled to himself while pouring another shot of soju into his glass. However, he didn’t look at her.

“Watch yourself,” she said softly, her eyes shifting to look at the others. A few of them sucked in air through their teeth and she flipped them off again for good measure before following Raelyn.

She saw she was already hailing a cab and Eden started to protest. When she caught the look on Raelyn’s face, however, she quickly closed her mouth and got in the cab. Her friend gave the driver instructions to take them back to Gangnam and those were the only words issued the entire car ride back.

When they were getting closer to her place, Eden started to shake her friend who was beginning to fall asleep. Raelyn mumbled something incoherent and she sighed, shaking her head. Eden paid the driver after she was able to help her friend out of the cab, making a mental note to have her pay her back at her earliest convenience.

As she watched the cab driving away, Eden readjusted Raelyn’s body against hers – draping her arm over her shoulder as she stared at the stairs leading to the rooftop. “…fuck me,” she mumbled.

“You really need to stop swearing so much,” called a voice behind her, causing her to spin a little harder than she’d intended. “I guess I’ll have to pray harder for you.”

“Jimin-ah,” Eden said, smirking, “what are you doing here?”

She normally saw him when he came to visit her at the shop or when she finally took the time to attend church. Eden was aware of his ties with the underground circuit, but there were so many times when she forgot because of how soft his expression was and the kindness he showed to others so often.

He shrugged, the silver crosses dangling from his ears swinging back and forth. “Well, a certain someone wouldn’t stop pestering me since _ someone _ refused to answer his text messages today.”

Eden huffed a laugh, preparing to shrug off all accusations when she saw Jungkook step out from the shadows and into the light pouring down from the streetlight nearby. Her smile fell a fraction and she looked between the two men. How had it never occurred to her that Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook were part of the same group? They both hung around Gangnam often and it was well-known that it was Golden Jackal territory.

Even so, it was still a little surprising to see them standing side-by-side like that.

Raelyn groaned, her hand moving to press up to her forehead. “It’s so loud,” she mumbled, lifting her head up to glare at the two of them. “Who said you punks could show up here?” She swung her head to look accusingly at Eden. “Did you invite them? How could you do that without asking your Unnie? Huh?”

Before Eden could answer, it was like Raelyn’s entire body was being pulled down by gravity. She stumbled forward and Eden let out a yelp, her fingers losing their grip. But Jimin rushed forward and caught Raelyn in his arms, steadying her back onto her feet.

“Hyungsoo-nim, are you alright?” His brows furrowed with concern and even Jungkook peered at the older woman curiously.

She smacked Jimin’s shoulder in drunken frustration. “I’m not your damn Hyungsoo-nim anymore, you got that?!”

Those were the last words she managed to get out of her before she lost consciousness. Jimin motioned for Jungkook to hold Raelyn upright long enough for him to turn around. Once he was, he motioned again toward Jungkook and he helped her onto his back, grabbing their shopping bags into his hands as well.

“Is she staying with you, Noona?” Jimin asked as he readjusted her so that her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder.

She nodded, fishing into her pocket to give him the key. “Yeah, just hurry and get her inside. I don’t want her to catch a cold.” He took the key from her and started making his way up the stairs. “There’s some Tylenol in the kitchen cabinet above the stove.”

“Got it,” he called back, his steps swift as he continued upward.

Eden watched, barely noticing that Jungkook was at her side. The two of them stood in companionable silence before he reached out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. The action made her jump and she looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled.

“Since you were with Noona, I can see why you were ignoring my messages,” he teased, causing her to pout, “but you both looked like you had a fun time.”

“Yeah, until those stupid Jade Fang bastards showed up.” Even though she knew it wasn’t his fault, she couldn’t help but glare at Jungkook. “I know Raelyn isn’t with Hoseok anymore, but don’t you guys think you should do something about their fuckin’ attitude? They were completely disrespectful to Rae Unnie.”

“Well, some things happened and they’ve kinda been on our ass a little more these days.” He said it with a frown, as if he wanted to tell her the details but knew that he couldn’t.

Eden scoffed. “Whatever,” she snipped, fishing into her pockets for her cigarettes. Slipping one between her lips, she fumbled around for her lighter. When she realized that it wasn’t in her pocket, she let out an aggravated growl. “Goddammit.”

“No lighter?” Jungkook sighed, shaking his head. “You really should just quit.”

“And you need to get off my back.” She watched him smirk. “Go upstairs and get my lighter.”

He saluted. “Sure,” he said, turning to make his way toward the stairs.

She heard him take a few steps but then he stopped. Wondering if something had happened, she looked to her right and saw that Jungkook had only made it up one stair when he paused, looking down the sidewalk. Eden took the cigarette out from her mouth, her hand falling to her side.

“Jungkook-ah,” she called, but he wasn’t looking at her, “what’s the matter?”

“…Yoongi Hyung,” he said softly.

Eden craned her neck and saw Min Yoongi stepping out from the shadows, a lit cigarette between his lips. He wasn’t smiling like he normally did when he saw her. His expression was dark; a mixture of confusion and mild anger. She knew that look because he didn’t show it often. When she looked at Jungkook, she saw that he was still looking at Yoongi.

“Yoongi,” she said, her eyes shifting to look back at him, “what are you doing here?”

“Go upstairs, Jungkook-ah,” he said, ignoring her question.

Jungkook blinked, his head turning to look at Eden and she could see his confusion. She was just as confused but something was slowly starting to make sense. One thing was clear though.

The two of them knew each other. And they knew each other _ very well_.

“_Now_, Jungkook.”

Jungkook bowed his head and quickly made his way upstairs. Once he was gone and Eden heard the door to her place open and close, her eyes moved back to look at Yoongi. He tossed his Zippo lighter at her and she caught it without thinking. Cigarette still between her fingers, she curled her hand into a fist and felt it break between her knuckles. A soft _ pat _ issued when it hit the pavement.

It made sense. It finally _ all _made sense.

“_You_,” she began, her voice seething as her fists began to shake.

“That’s right,” he said, his expression as neutral as ever. Except for his eyes. There was anger swirling in his dark depths and this, in turn, enraged her. “I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

She watched as the cigarette dropped to his feet and he crushed the ember out with the heel of his shoe.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”


	14. Reflection

"But you know, sometimes I really really hate myself.  
To be honest, quite often, I really hate myself."

_ Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
_ _ South Korea _

When Yoongi got the call, he was on his way to the airport.

Seokjin managed to secure a personal financial advisor for their group so the next step that needed to be taken was to start consolidating their assets. Yoongi was one of the ones responsible for setting up accounts overseas and he wanted to get the business deals taken care of before the end of the week. He’d need a couple of days to adjust to the jetlag and then he would be in and out of office meetings for most of his stay. Americans were capitalists by nature and so they ultimately would try to get the biggest bang for their buck.

Yoongi was out to accomplish the same.

He’d packed his suitcase that morning. His flight was scheduled to depart in the late afternoon, and he would hopefully arrive in California first thing in the morning. He wasn’t planning on staying for more than three or four days, timelines depending. Yoongi wanted to get lunch with Eden before he left.

They’d agreed to be friends, after all.

_ Friends_, he thought bitterly, staring at himself in the mirror as he adjusted the lapels of his gray blazer, _ who am I kidding? _

It was an excuse. It was an excuse _ for himself_.

Reaching out with the olive branch for friendship was his way of being able to stay close to Eden, but keeping her at arm’s length. He could lie to her every chance he could and he’d be a liar still if he didn’t feel a shred of relief when she’d accepted his offer for friendship. But there was a part of him that knew he had to keep the ruse up for as long as possible. The further he kept her from his life, the less entangled in the criminal underground she would get.

He’d been selfish to have maintained the illusion of their relationship for so long.

He sighed. _ Three years… _

How could he have continued to lie to her for three years? It was one thing when they were just starting to get close while he was in the States. He never imagined she would travel all the way to South Korea. Yoongi wasn’t arrogant enough to believe she’d done it for him. He knew of her desire to learn more of her mother’s roots and to walk the same paths and see the same things that her mother had. She’d been an orphan for her entire life, but Eden always cherished that side of her heritage – even going so far as to learn the language and the culture long before he’d ever met her.

It was creeping closer toward mid-morning. He shot Eden a quick text, inquiring whether she had any plans for lunch. It was probably presumptuous of him to think she was just waiting around for him to call or text her. They met up one more time after he’d let a week slip by with no contact. Honestly, Yoongi spent those days contemplating if he’d made the right decision in wanting to maintain a friendship with her. Should he have just cut her out of his life completely and made the choice to stop making excuses to pull her into his orbit?

After waiting for her to respond and getting nothing back, he decided to leave it alone. He’d text her when he arrived State-side and let her know he was out of the country on a business trip. She was used to that, seeing as how he drew up his entrepreneur persona and maintained that guise for all the years he’d known her.

His phone rang and he answered, not bothering to look at the screen to see who was calling. He was already on his way out the door.

“Min Yoongi here.”

_ “Hyung, we have a problem.” _

It was Namjoon.

“What’s wrong?”

Closing the door, he waited for the security lock to beep before he headed down the stone walkway leading out to the expansive front garden. Dragging his rolling suitcase with him, he fished for his keys so he could lock the front gate. Once it was locked, he rounded the corner of the building and headed out toward the street.

_ “It’s Hyungsoo-nim…” _

Yoongi froze.

“What?”

_ “…uh, I mean, Raelyn Noona.” _

He sighed, brushing a hand through his bangs in frustration. “Is Hoseok still having her monitored?”

_ “Look, Hyung, that’s not really important right now. You know how thorough Hoseok is. He just wants to make sure she’s safe and he always keeps his distance.” _

“Whatever.”

_“Anyway, that’s not the problem. The _**_problem_** _is that she was seen in Myeongdong today.”_

Yoongi was about to take another step when he stopped. “She was seen in _ Jade Fang _ territory?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not like she doesn’t know how those guys operate. Why would she risk even going there?”

_ “Well, she was out shopping with a friend. A mixed girl. I think her name is Eden?” _

A lump of ice crashed into Yoongi’s gut.

_No, _he thought, a bead of sweat forming on his brow,_ how did I _**_miss_** _that?_

But the answer was right there. He’d missed it because he always made it a point to keep Eden as far away from his world as possible. Which, in turn, caused him to be kept just as far away from her world and inner circle as well.

“Fuck.”

_ “Yoongi Hyung? Are you alright?” _

“And we can’t send Taehyung to fetch her because he got caught fucking around out there, either.”

He heard Namjoon sigh on the other line.

_"No. And I don’t want to risk sending any of the other boys out there. The Jade Fangs are probably itching for any excuse to start a skirmish.” _

“God fucking dammit, Taehyung-ah,” he muttered. If he hadn’t blown his damn ability to sleuth around properly, this would have been a cake walk. “What about Jungkook?”

_ “With his reputation on the streets? They’d see him coming a mile away.” _

“I know Seokjin Hyung is in Busan right now. What about Jimin-ah?”

Namjoon sighed again. He wished he’d quit doing that. It wasn’t helping his nerves in the slightest.

_ “He’s still not back from Jeju. He won’t be arriving until later in the evening.” _

“Fine. I’ll go get her.”

_ “No, you can’t either Hyung. Just like everyone knows about Jungkook, they know about The Lightning Claw too.” _

Yoongi hissed, clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth.

_ “And I can’t go running in there since I have to stay by Hoseok’s side. I’ve already had to convince him three times to stay put.” _

This was getting stupid.

But Eden was with her. He knew that she could take care of herself and as long as they didn’t move against them, there would be no reason to stir up trouble. Hoseok wasn’t dating Raelyn anymore and, as a result, she was no longer the Hyungsoo-nim of the Golden Jackals. There would be no reason for them to push at her since she wasn’t tied to them anymore.

Well, at least not in that capacity. He couldn’t control what Taehyung and the others did.

“This is one giant fucking mess.” Yoongi spied the time. He’d have to cancel his flight. “Keep on them. And as soon as Jimin gets back, you let him know what the hell is happening. He’ll at least have an idea of what to do about this since he’s the only one of us who knows how to keep his foot out of his goddamn mouth.”

_ “Got it. I’ll let you know if anything changes.” _

“Good.”

He hung up the call and immediately called the airport to cancel his flight. Yoongi dialed a cab and after five minutes, he hopped in and made a beeline for Gangnam. He didn’t know how he was going to manage it, but he had to keep an eye out and make sure that nothing crazy happened. He’d keep his ears to the ground for as long as he could manage it before calling for reinforcements.

* * *

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _ South Korea _

It was a fifteen-minute cab ride.

It felt like it took a hundred years to get to Eden’s street.

Arriving, he paid the cab driver and immediately made his way up the stairs. Once he reached the top, he fished into his pockets to retrieve his keys. He quickly plucked through them and saw the spare key.

He still had the spare key to Eden’s apartment and while he’d been meaning to give it back to her for some time, it just never came up. She never asked for it back. While he’d never encroached into her privacy, there were times he would swing by when he knew she was at the shop to make sure that she was at least eating properly.

She wasn’t, of course. She was always eating out – the tell-tale signs of Chinese takeout in her mini fridge.

Slipping the key inside, he unlocked the door and dipped inside. Kicking off his shoes, he slid into the spare house slippers and immediately began marching around the small space.

“Eden?” he called.

There was no answer.

The darker part of Yoongi’s mind that often dreamed up the worst scenarios immediately began to panic. His heart jack-hammered against his ribs and while her apartment was small, it felt like it took almost an hour to search. His legs frantically moved from one empty space and then to the other. She was nowhere to be found.

Dashing out of the apartment, he stalked around the rooftop – flinging his arms out to avoid being hit by the laundry she still had hanging out on the line.

She wasn’t there.

_ Fuck_, came his angry thought.

Well, at least she wasn’t there bleeding out on the floor.

Shaking his head, he took a breath and quieted those dark thoughts – smothering toward the shadowy corner of his heart where they belonged. “She’s fine, Min Yoongi. Get it together.”

He tried calling her and texting her. The call went straight to voicemail.

Again, Yoongi attempted to quiet his frantic mind. _ It’s fine. Her phone just might be dead. You know how she barely keeps the thing fully charged daily. It’s fine. _

Yoongi went back inside, deciding that he would wait for her. That was the best course of action to take. Falling onto the couch, he sank into it and felt like the weight of the universe had been thrust upon his shoulders; this being the first break he was able to take all day.

His phone began to ring and he answered before the first buzz got a chance to finish. “Hello?”

_ “Yoongi Hyung?” _ It was Jimin. _ “I just got back to Seoul. Is everything alright? Namjoon Hyung told me to call you as soon as I was able to use my phone again.” _

“Are you still at the airport?”

_ “Yeah. I just picked up my bag.” _

“Good. I need you to take a cab to Gangnam immediately. Raelyn was spotted in the Jung District.”

_ “Heaven help me, are you serious? Was she by herself?” _

“No, Eden—” He paused, taking a moment. He could already tell he was about to sound way too familiar. “—her friend, Eden, is with her. At least that’s what was reported to me.”

There was a long pause and Yoongi looked at his phone to make sure the call wasn’t disconnected. “Jimin-ah?”

_ “Huh? Oh, sorry Hyung. I just got a bunch of texts from Jungkook. He’s bugging me about coming with him to check on someone. Hold on.” _ There was the distinct sound of street noises being heard. Yoongi heard Jimin hailing a cab and once he finished giving the driver directions, he returned to the line. _ “This boy. Well, it looks like I’m headed that way anyway, Hyung. Jungkook is up my ass about bothering Eden. If Hyungsoo-nim—I mean, if Raelyn Noona is with her, then I can kill two birds with one stone.” _

Yoongi suddenly sat up. “Wait, what?” His eyes narrowed. “You and Jungkook _ both _ know Eden?”

_ “Huh? Well, yeah, Hyung. Jungkook met her a few months back when he brought his bike into her shop to get it looked at.” _

“And you?”

_ “Hyung, I’m a Christian, remember? Eden goes to the same church I do.” _ He heard Jimin laugh. _ “Well, when she makes the time to come, anyway.” _

He frowned. Had he even known that about her? Yoongi knew that she believed; that she was a _ believer_, but he never remembered her attending church back when they were in the States. And she certainly hadn’t gone to church when they were still together.

But now that he thought about it, he was usually gone and when he wasn’t gone, he was with her and only her. He took her to various places away from prying eyes because he didn’t want to risk anyone recognizing him and tying her _ to _him. The risk was too great; for her and for himself.

Yet she’d somehow managed to entangle herself in their world, regardless.

Yoongi got up and started heading toward the door. It was already dark outside. When had it gotten so late?

He took two steps out of the door, pulling it closed behind him. He locked the door just as the sound of a motorcycle roared to life from down the street. Yoongi moved to the other side of the roof, peering over the edge. Jungkook’s motorcycle could be seen from the other end of the street. He slowed his pace as he hit the wide turns as he peeled into the neighborhood. Yoongi spun on his heels and immediately went to the other end of the roof behind Eden’s apartment, vaulting over the edge and landing on the fire escape.

Descending the stairs, he hit the pavement in time to see a cab pulling up. Jimin stepped out from it but Yoongi remained hidden in the shadows. Part of him wanted to reveal himself to Jimin, feigning ignorance for why he was there. He was simply checking on Raelyn. Nothing more. He didn’t even know this Eden chick.

That was the lie he could have spun if Eden didn’t already know both Jimin _ and _ Jungkook.

He watched as Jimin and Jungkook met each other after parking, the two exchanging brief conversation and relaying to the other about the call from Namjoon. If the two of them were there, then that would be fine. He could leave things in their care and call it a night. He still had to fly out to the States tomorrow morning.

_ I’ll wait until she gets here, _ he told himself, pulling out his pack of cigarettes from the inside of his jacket pocket, _ then I’ll go. _

He’d barely gotten a few puffs in before another cab pulled up. Yoongi spied that it was Eden with Raelyn in tow. She hefted the drunk woman up, barely able to keep herself upright as well. They’d been drinking a lot, it seemed. Eden managed to pull out a few shopping bags and paid the cab driver. When Jimin and Jungkook made themselves known to Eden, he was about to leave.

That is until he saw Jungkook brushing Eden’s hair behind her ear.

His legs remained rooted to the ground and a flare of heated jealousy exploded across his chest. While Yoongi knew he had no right to feel that way, the emotions pushed to the forefront. He recalled the conversation that he’d had with Jungkook a few days back about the “Stubborn Tiger” he was pursuing – how he’d stolen her number but was still willing to talk to him despite knowing that he was affiliated with the mafia.

And she hadn’t turned him away.

He took a step forward, away from the shadows and into the light. _ Could things have been different? _

Yoongi watched as Jungkook started heading upstairs, only to stop when their eyes met.

“Jungkook-ah,” Eden called, but Jungkook didn’t take his eyes off of him, “what’s the matter?”

“…Yoongi Hyung.”

It was here that Eden’s eyes searched the darkness and when he appeared, he could see the confusion and surprise on her face. He did his best to ignore it, but he knew that his anger was showing all over his face.

“Yoongi,” she said, her eyes shifting to look back at him, “what are you doing here?”

“Go upstairs, Jungkook-ah,” he said, ignoring her question. His mouth felt dry all of a sudden and he knew it wasn’t because of the cigarette perched between his lips.

He watched Jungkook turn to look at Eden and this made his brow twitch. But when he turned to look back at Eden, he could see the wheels turning in her mind. And then that was when he watched her mentally put two and two together.

“_Now_, Jungkook.”

He waited until Jungkook was out of earshot before he tossed his Zippo lighter to her. She caught it easily. But he knew she wouldn’t light up in front of him. She was about to get angry. Her anger was about to rise to meet at the level of his own.

“_You_,” she began, her voice seething as her fists began to shake.

“That’s right,” he said, his expression neutral and his tone cold. But he couldn’t hide the throbbing behind his eyes – the way that his eyes seemed to shake with the heavy emotions swirling in his chest. “I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

He dropped the cigarette from his lips and crushed the ember out with the heel of his shoe.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”

For a moment, nothing else was spoken between them.

And then he watched the tears form in her eyes, shining under the glow of the streetlight.

“You son of a bitch,” she muttered. Yoongi watched her reach into her pocket and she pulled out the switchblade she was always known to carry. “You fucking…SON OF A BITCH!”

Yoongi watched Eden run at him, and just when she was about to strike, he caught her wrist at the last second. Holding her arm high, he squeezed on the pressure point where her wrist was – forcing her to drop the knife. It landed on the ground with a loud clatter and she raged at him, her voice echoing off the brick walls of the residential housing in the area. He watched her left hand curl into a fist and when she tried to land a blow to his face, he blocked it with his forearm and gripped onto her wrist.

“You liar! You goddamn fucking lying sack of shit!” She tried to jerk free, but his grip tightened. “Let me go! LET ME GO!”

He braced most of his weight onto his back leg, spinning her around and forcing her arms up and over her. Once they were crossed in front of her, he held her tightly against him. He wasn’t sure if it was her heart or his own drumming mercilessly against his chest, but he knew that their breaths were coming out in rough huffs simultaneously.

“How could you lie to me? After all these years, you had me believing I was _ nothing _ to you!”

Eden shook violently, doing her damnedest to break free of his hold. But he wasn’t letting go.

“I did it because I didn’t want you wrapped up in this shit, Eden!”

She was practically vibrating now. “That wasn’t your choice to make! It was _ mine, _ you bastard! It was mine and you took it from me!” Eden tried her best to fight his hold, but he was too strong. He could hear a broken sob escaping her. “You never even let me make the choice for myself, you asshole.”

The sob was what did it and he finally released her. When he did, Eden whirled around and a loud _ crack _ issued as her palm connected with his cheek. Tears streamed down her face and he sighed, the pain of the strike nothing compared to the betrayal that was etched so perfectly all over her face.

“Is that why you finally decided to tell me the truth? Because you’ve figured out that I not only know Raelyn Unnie, but Jimin and Jungkook too? Because your little lie was finally going to come back full circle and kick you in the balls?”

Yoongi couldn’t say anything. What could he say? It wasn’t like anything she’d said was a lie.

He watched her angrily swipe at her nose and cheeks. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that, Min Yoongi?”

And without another glance his way, Yoongi watched Eden ascend the stairs. He couldn’t bring himself to go after her. Because what excuse did he have now? What leg did he have left to stand on?

Eden McGee, once again, managed to knock all the fight he had left out of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So it's come to my attention that some of you might not know which honorifics I'm using. I've decided to go ahead and start by listing the honorifics in the story in notes so there is no confusion.
> 
> \-- **Hyung** \- what a younger man calls an older man who they are close with or actually blood-related to.  
\-- **Noona** \- what a younger man calls an older woman who they are close with or actually blood-related to.  
\-- **Hyung-nim** \- what younger men call an older man who they are close with and also see as a mentor; can also be a term for rank, as in Hoseok's case. This can also be used in terms of "In-laws" when speaking to the older brother of their wife.  
\-- **Hyungsoo-nim** \- what a younger man calls his older brother's wife. In this case, since Hoseok is the leader of the Golden Jackals, his ex-girlfriend, Raelyn, was once called "Hyungsoo-nim" as a show of respect.  
\-- **Unnie** \- what a younger woman calls an older woman who they are close with or actually blood-related to.  
\-- **Name-ssi** \- a polite way to address someone deemed as an acquaintance or used in the workplace between fellow colleagues.  
\-- **Name-ah/ie** \- an informal way to address someone who is more than just an acquaintance; generally used between close friends and by older siblings to address their younger siblings.
> 
> These are the ones that I use the most and will be the most prevalent in this fic. I figured I would go ahead and clear up the confusion. Hope this helps. I will update these as I go depending on which ones are used in the story.


	15. Seesaw

"So there’s an ambiguous continuation of passing on responsibilities,  
And we get so tired or if that we finally became parallel..."  
  


“Hoseok-ah,” came Namjoon’s deep voice, “you have to calm down, alright? You need to calm down.”

Hoseok rounded on him in the middle of his pacing. His dark hair flew in every direction across his forehead and the tails to his suit jacket lifted off his back. Namjoon felt his spine grow rigid. He could see his reflection in Hoseok’s dark eyes, spidery red veins stretching to caress his irises. Namjoon watched as Hoseok’s chest rose up and down, showcasing how heavy his breathing was in that moment.

The two men said nothing. All they could do was stare directly into each other’s eyes. Namjoon felt a lump rising in his throat while Hoseok’s brow twitched from his fury. It wasn’t until he saw his friend’s upper lip curling into a snarl that he snapped out of the fugue state he’d momentarily found himself in. It was like his soul departed his body in those few short seconds and Namjoon forgot who he was.

He’d almost forgotten who the man standing in front of him was.

Sighing, he took another breath and then rested his hands on Hoseok’s shoulders. He felt the muscles jump under his palms and Namjoon curled his fingers into the fabric of his jacket for good measure. When he finally felt Hoseok’s shoulders relax did he, too, relax his grip.

“_Hyung-nim_,” he stressed, which caused Hoseok to blink in surprise. He could see the blind rage bleeding out from his eyes. “We have to wait here. I’ve already got the boys on it. If something happened, we would have heard about it.”

He watched Hoseok’s face and saw his mind racing behind his eyes. After a handful of seconds, he closed his eyes. When Namjoon believed he’d sufficiently calmed down, he saw the quick movement out of the corner of his eye. Hoseok turned and swung his right arm up, knocking Namjoon’s arms away from him. He turned his back to him and all Namjoon could do was bite his lower lip as his brows knit both with concern and frustration.

Then the phone rang.

Hoseok crossed the short distance toward his desk, not bothering to go to the other side. He answered it from the front, practically ripping it from the wiring. An ache formed in Namjoon’s chest as he watched his friend struggling to dampen his anger.

“This is Jung Hoseok.”

There was a pause as the other spoke from the other line. However, when Namjoon saw the angry vein pulsating near Hoseok’s throat, he knew something was very wrong. Hoseok’s eyes grew large before slowly narrowing to tiny slits.

“What _ horse shit _ are you babbling on about right now, Changkyun-ah?”

Namjoon took a step toward Hoseok, his heartbeat hammering across his entire body. Hoseok held his hand up, shaking his head back and forth – his silent command for him to be quiet. Namjoon remained rooted to his spot and he could only watch as Hoseok’s angry face twisted into a dark smile.

“While I’m aware that one of my boys messed up, I don’t see how that has anything to do with her. She and I aren’t together anymore. I made that _ crystal fucking clear _ to all the bosses. She’s a free woman and can come and go where she pleases. So can her friends.”

There was a loud laugh that came from the other line, loud enough for even Namjoon to hear. However, Hoseok’s smile didn’t fall. It remained dark and terrifying. But Namjoon didn’t miss how his friend’s knuckles burned white from how hard he was holding the phone. He could swear that the plastic on the receiver cracked from the pressure.

“Changkyun-ah,” Hoseok said slowly, “I know you haven’t been to the meetings these days, but you should know how serious of an offense I take to threats to my territory. I know you’re the same. Taehyung will be punished for the trouble he caused, but leave her out of future conversations. How she chooses to spend her time is her own business. It doesn’t have anything to do with me.” He paused and Namjoon’s own hands curled into fists at his side. “So, if you’re planning on using her as some kind of leverage against me, that time has long since passed, Im Changkyun.”

A napalm of anger went off across Namjoon’s chest. He knew that things had been far too quiet over in the Jung District. Word on the streets was that the Jade Fangs were eyeballing a few key territories to claim as their own. Like a cancer, they were spreading and infecting everything around them. The disease? Fear. They didn’t play fair and they played for keeps. Always. It was the main reason why Hoseok stressed so many years ago, just at the end of all the gang wars, that he wanted to keep any and all business ventures as far away from their reach as it could be made possible.

But even Namjoon didn’t think they would stoop so low as to reach for Hoseok’s neck through Raelyn Noona.

Hoseok’s eyes closed and he turned his back to Namjoon. His hand slid across the surface of his desk and he saw Hoseok’s shoulders tilt at a slight angle.

“We’re both very busy men, Changkyun-ah. If you want to discuss terms for a deal, it will have to be through my second, Kim Namjoon.” There was another pause. “Alright, he’ll meet with your second first thing tomorrow morning. Goodnight.”

Another long stretch of silence loomed throughout the room as Hoseok hung up the phone. Namjoon couldn’t help but remain silent. The brother and best friend in him wanted to soothe the rage that was clearly bubbling over the surface of Hoseok’s aura. The obedient subordinate knew his place, maintaining his stance with his hands clasped in front of him. He knew that the upheaval of emotions, the rocky rollercoaster they were currently on, was far from over.

_ Hoseok… _

No sooner had his friend’s name echoed in his mind, Namjoon saw Hoseok move. His arms swung out, sweeping across the desk and knocking everything onto the floor. He leaned over, picking up the phone and threw it across the room like a professional baseball pitcher with a roar. It sailed across the room and smashed into the wall, landing pathetically on the floor – as though it knew that it was experiencing its last moments in the world.

Hoseok screamed – his face exploding into blotchy patches of red as he raged in his office. Namjoon watched silently; praying that his presence was enough to settle the tumultuous fury rupturing in his friend. But he knew that it would be a fallacy if this image of Hoseok, this display, didn’t hurt Namjoon. It broke something inside of him and years of pride shattered. All that was left was the lingering guilt that echoed inside of him.

Could all of this have been avoided had they remained back in their country home of Hwaseong?

Hoseok finally fell to his knees, his screams fading to silence before he leaned forward and began punching the ground. Over and over he crashed his knuckles into the stone floor until splatters of blood decorated the slate surface. Namjoon rushed to his side, grasping onto Hoseok’s wrist hard in his hand. He tried to resist him but after a few minutes, it was like watching a wild animal succumbing to the pain of being caught in the hunter’s trap.

He felt the tension in Hoseok’s body melt away. Namjoon knew better than anyone how much he still cared for Raelyn. He also understood why Raelyn ended things. This wasn’t the sort of life that he wanted to drag anyone into unless he trusted they would go down swinging with them. They would jump into the fire and burn to death together. A non-suspect civilian, especially one who worked in the medical field, didn’t need to have a reason to entangle themselves with their dark and dirty little world.

But the heart wants what the heart wants. Hoseok wanted Raelyn and she wanted him. She took to their life like a duck takes to water. Maybe it was because of her past, what little Hoseok told them about it, but Raelyn was more than capable of handling herself. She was suited to be the mafia boss’s girlfriend.

Freedom, however, was something that most people took for granted. Hoseok did everything he could back then to make her happy. He would have plucked the moon out of the sky and hung it from her neck if she’d asked for it. But their lives were crazy in those days. They were always fighting to survive and they were fighting for a way of life. There was still so much time before things would begin stabilizing. In those days, Hoseok personally took part in the turf wars that exploded across the streets of Seoul.

Things were different now. They were getting better, but there was still so much at stake.

Namjoon felt Hoseok’s head fall against his shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts. His sandalwood hair fell across his nose as he tried to look at his friend. But all he could see was the shadow of his eyes, the rest hidden by his dark fringe.

“Namjoon-ah,” Hoseok muttered, his voice hoarse from his earlier episode, “how much longer do we have to keep doing this?”

His brows furrowed and he clenched his jaw tightly, the soft ache of the muscle near his molars twitching with life. “Not much longer, my friend.”

He wrapped his arms around Hoseok’s shoulder, bringing him closer so that he could rest a little longer. He patted his back in comfort, hoping to reassure him that this was going to be a thing of the past soon.

“We’re almost there. I promise you.”

* * *

_ Incheon – Muchuhol; Namdong District  
_ _ South Korea _

The _ Incheon Metropolitan City Muchuhol Library _ was usually quiet in the early mornings. Students were on their way to their classes and all the other patrons in the library were simply finding a quiet place to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Ambitious writers came to do research and there were even a few professors who were expanding their light reading in the library.

Nestled toward the back of the library, Namjoon’s fingers perused a variety of philosophical texts written by some of the greatest scholarly minds the world has ever known. He’d dabbled in a few studies himself, hoping to utilize the texts given by other intellectuals to help guide him on his path to be a successful assistant and right hand to Hoseok. Most of his actions stemmed from experience and he rarely responded with impulse. The quiet voices of reason were the roles that Seokjin and he played. It was the best way for them to work without hiccups while Hoseok focused on leading them.

Reaching for one of Karl Marx’s books, he flipped to the center where his description of capitalism; how the very existence of it would crumble due to the necessity of society having to struggle in order to evolve. Holding the book open with one hand, his thumb flipped a couple of pages as his other hand slid into the pocket of his dress pants.

Suddenly, he could feel someone to his back. Raising the book up to his face, hiding half of his face as his eyes slowly shifted to the side. The other person’s broad shoulders barely brushed against Namjoon’s back. No one said anything. It was quiet, save for the ambient noise of others milling about near the front of the library.

And then the person huffed softly.

“It’s been awhile, Namjoon-ah.”

“It has, Shownu Hyung,” he replied softly.

Kim Namjoon was there to meet with Sohn Shownu, the Bear of the Jade Fangs.

The two remained back to back. He felt Shownu shift behind him, presumably to grab one of the books. They completely blocked off the aisle they were on, but since they were near the back of the library, they knew they could talk quietly and away from the prying eyes of others.

“Couldn’t your boss have picked a closer place to meet than this?”

“Changkyun’s always been fickle.” Namjoon could _ hear _ the smile on Shownu’s face. “Incheon’s neutral territory for both of our groups. This was the best option.”

Namjoon smirked, brushing his thumb over the lower swell of his lip before flipping the page. “I suppose.” He glossed over the pages, not really reading what was written. “Taehyung-ah messed up. We acknowledge that.” He paused before turning another page. “He’ll be punished.”

“Have you decided on how you’re going to go about it?”

“Not yet.”

“Need some ideas?”

“No, that’s not necessary.”

He heard Shownu turn a page behind him.

“You guys acquired Yongsan recently.”

It was a statement of fact, not a question.

Namjoon’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, we did two years ago.”

“So, Gangnam and now Yongsan.” Another page was turned. “A little gutsy, don’t you think?”

“Not as gutsy as your group.” Namjoon craned his neck slightly so he could glance over his shoulder at Shownu. “You snatched up Mapo in the last year.”

He saw Shownu shrug. “Again, Changkyun is fickle.”

“He hasn’t been attending the district meetings either.”

“I’ve tried to get him to listen to reason. He has his own ambitions. There’s little that any of us can do to stop him.”

Namjoon slapped the book closed. “Then try harder.”

The two men slowly turned in the aisle, standing shoulder to shoulder with one another. Shownu was just a little taller than Namjoon, but not by much. Their dark eyes bore into each other and nothing was said between them. After a moment, Shownu’s brows rose as his full lips formed into a smirk.

“About Raelyn Briggs,” he said, causing Namjoon’s eyes to narrow a margin, “Changkyun wanted to let you know that she doesn’t have to worry about coming into our turf. She’s not involved with your organization anymore, so she has no reason to continue looking over her shoulder.”

Namjoon wanted to feel relieved, but the tension in his neck wouldn’t let up.

“We can’t guarantee anything if she decides to mix herself up with your group again.”

Both moved at the same time; their bodies turning to face each other as their arms shot out to grasp at the other’s wrist. Namjoon’s fingers dug into Shownu’s forearm and the older man did the same. Their expressions were completely unreadable and they each held a book in their other hand. To any person passing by, it would have looked like a promise was made between two brothers.

The truth? They’d neutralized each other’s assault. It was hard to determine who’d struck first.

“And her friend?”

“Well, I’m afraid it’s a little too late for her the minute she decides to cross the line.” Shownu tilted his head slightly. “She’s feisty, that Eden girl. It’s almost a shame that she lives in Gangnam. Do you think she’d consider relocating?”

Namjoon did a little digging on Eden McGee. Some wads of money thrown here and there, as well as cashing in a few favors, and it was easy to dredge up enough information on her for it to matter. After reading over her permanent record, the answer to that question was easy to give.

“Don’t count on it.”

The two men released each other immediately. They straightened their shoulders and, without taking their eyes from each other, replaced their books back onto the shelves. Shownu slipped his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels and Namjoon worked on buttoning up his jacket.

“When things calm down, we should get a drink sometime,” offered Shownu, “do a little catching up.”

“Sure,” Namjoon replied easily, “when things have settled down a bit.”

He started to move, heading down the aisle so he could mix himself into the throng of other patrons of the library.

“Is it true?”

Shownu’s voice stopped him just as he reached the end of the aisle. He looked over his shoulder toward The Bear as he took a few steps forward.

“Is what true?”

“Rumor around is that you guys are trying to go straight?” Shownu brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. “Is it true?”

Namjoon smirked. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?” He gave him a two fingered salute. “See you around, Shownu Hyung.”

And without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the library’s main entrance. He didn’t let his expression change until he was outside and standing on the sidewalk. Sliding up the sleeve of his jacket, he spied the time and clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. He was running behind.

Pulling his car keys out, he hit the button on the key fob and the lights to his car flickered to life as the doors unlocked. Nestling into the Audi, he cranked the car and the engine roared to life. He set his phone on the dash mount and went through his favorites on his contact list to dial Yoongi’s cell.

_ “Namjoon-ah, everything alright?” _His gruff voice came through the speaker.

“Yeah, I’m about to head back now. Did I wake you up?”

_ “No, I’m just jetlagged. I’ll be fine after a shower.” _

Namjoon pulled his car out onto the main street, making his way toward the highway. “Seokjin Hyung is still in Busan with Anastasia. They won’t be back until tomorrow. When are you flying back?”

_ “I’ll be back on Thursday. I had to push things back because of what happened.” _

He hummed his response.

_ “…how’s Hoseok-ah?” _

Namjoon sighed. “I’m worried about him, Hyung. But I think the Jade Fangs will keep their distance from Raelyn Noona from now on.” He reached up to scratch at his temple. “We’ll have to punish Taehyung-ah.”

_ “As he should be.” _

“I’ll have Jimin handle it.”

He heard Yoongi shifting around on the other end.

_ “You don’t think that Hoseok should be the one to punish him?” _

“Do you want Jungkook to handle it instead?”

There was a pregnant pause before he heard Yoongi’s sigh from the speaker.

_ “No, let Jimin take care of it.” _

With as angry as Hoseok was, there was a good chance that Taehyung would wind up with something broken. Or worse. It was better if Jimin handled it. He knew how to dole out punishment fairly and had the restraint not to cross any lines.

“Alright. I’ll let Jimin and Hoseok know. Have a good trip.”

_ “Yeah, and you get off the phone. You’re driving so you’re supposed to be paying attention to the road.” _

Namjoon smirked. “I will. Bye, Hyung.”

_ “Later.” _

When the call ended, Namjoon’s face hardened. Just when things were starting to look up, they had the rug pulled out from them. He’d been keeping his ears to the ground and was shocked to hear that the Jade Fangs acquired Mapo. The most disturbing thing was that it didn’t look like Changkyun was showing any signs of stopping.

One by one, he had his eyes set on other districts.

“Is it going to come down to that? Again?”

He hoped not. He _ truly _ hoped not.

Because who knew what the result would be if another gang war managed to break out? 


	16. Burning Up

"Live life however you want, it’s yours anyway.  
Stop trying, it’s okay to lose."

Jungkook’s feet were heavy as he made his way up the stairwell that led to Eden’s rooftop apartment. The brick was cold against his palms, but he hardly felt it. His mind was racing – no, _ reeling _ over Yoongi’s arrival. He couldn’t help but wonder how the two of them knew each other. Yoongi made no mention of knowing someone like Eden and she was the sort of person who unintentionally stuck out. He’d only known her for a few months, but it seemed like she knew Yoongi for even longer. Longer than he could probably guess on his own.

When he reached the top, he paused. There was silence below him. Curiosity compelled him and so Jungkook took a few steps towards Eden’s front door. He opened it slowly, then closed it.

But he remained outside.

Quieting his steps, Jungkook crossed the rooftop and stood near the edge of the building. Keeping to the shadows, he leaned over and peeked down below. Even from that height, he could see Eden shaking and it wasn’t from the cold. His eyes shifted toward his friend, watching the man he admired so much as he took another slow drag from his cigarette.

“_You_,” Eden began, the anger clear in her tone.

“That’s right. I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

Yoongi’s voice was cold. He spoke to her the way he did just before he was preparing to pummel someone into the ground. He’d never heard him speak that way toward a woman, however. Which made Jungkook curious.

How deep was the connection they had?

There was a scraping sound on the pavement, drawing Jungkook’s eyes back to the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”

Silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity. He couldn’t see Eden’s face, but he saw her reaching into her pocket. Jungkook’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“You son of a bitch.”

And then he saw her pulling a switchblade from her pocket. Jungkook’s body shifted involuntarily, reacting before his mind could fully process what was happening.

“You fucking…SON OF A BITCH!”

Jungkook knew there was not enough time for him to do anything. Before he could even inhale, Eden rushed at Yoongi and he unconsciously held his breath as his older brother stopped her within seconds of her plunging the knife into him. Her back was to him, but he didn’t need to see her face to imagine the fury in her eyes. There was a pained expression that filled his face as he watched Yoongi blocking her punch, holding fast to both of her arms.

Was it because he was a _ gangpae _ after all? Eden told him that she didn’t care about that sort of thing and he was inclined to believe that. But with how she responded to Yoongi, he had to wonder.

He wished he could see her face to accurately determine just why she was so mad at his brother.

“You liar! You goddamn fucking lying sack of shit!” She tried to break free but Yoongi refused to release her. “Let me go! LET ME GO!”

Jungkook blinked rapidly as he watched Yoongi spin Eden around in his arms, forcing her back against his chest. He took a step back, hoping that she wouldn’t feel the sudden inclination to look up and see him. There were grunts coming from them both as they struggled against one another. Taking a step forward, he peeked back down below.

“How could you lie to me? After all these years, you had me believing I was _ nothing _ to you!”

His lips parted slightly. _ Years? _ he thought, _ they’ve known each other…for **years**? _

Brows furrowed, Jungkook’s lips pressed together in a thin line and he couldn’t help the envious emotion that clawed at his heart. Yoongi knew a woman like Eden for years and he’d been struggling to make a connection with her for the last few months. She hadn’t pushed him away, but she certainly wasn’t letting him through the walls she’d built around her heart.

Dark eyes shifted from Eden’s furious face to the guilt-ridden one that etched over Yoongi’s.

“I did it because I didn’t want you wrapped up in this shit, Eden!”

And then, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, it hit Jungkook. He remembered the look on Yoongi’s face the other day when they finished up their business. When he asked Jungkook if the “Stubborn Tiger” knew about his background, about the life he lived. The remorse was evident then. Yoongi had regrets about something and now it was clear _ why_.

Yoongi and Eden had been in a relationship.

“That wasn’t your choice to make! It was _ mine, _ you bastard! It was mine and you took it from me!” Eden’s voice cut through his thoughts and he looked down toward them. “You never even let me make the choice for myself, you asshole.”

When Eden sobbed, Jungkook’s heart twisted inside his chest. He’d never seen her so emotional. She was normally blunt, carefree and with a clap-back at the ready. She laughed loudly and always voiced her thoughts whenever she had them. Stubborn and even a bit reckless, Jungkook found himself drawn to her. After poking and prodding, he’d discovered that she was an orphan just like him. He’d believed there was a connection.

Was he wrong? Had he been completely wrong from the start?

He watched as Eden slapped Yoongi across the face, seeing her tear-stained cheeks shining under the streetlights. Jungkook never saw Eden cry over anything. Seeing it now, he knew that he wasn’t a fan of the look.

Even if she _ did _look pretty when she cried.

“Is that why you finally decided to tell me the truth? Because you’ve figured out that I not only know Raelyn Unnie, but Jimin and Jungkook too? Because your little lie was finally going to come back full circle and kick you in the balls?”

His brother didn’t answer him. Jungkook hurt for Yoongi. He’d never seen him like this in all the years he’d known him. It left him feeling hollow on the inside because he knew there was nothing he could say or do to comfort his brother.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that, Min Yoongi?”

Her hurried steps reached his ears and Jungkook didn’t bother trying to hide or pretend that he’d just stepped out. A heaviness weighed on his heart, so heavy that he just sat down on the edge of the rooftop border. A cold wind blew against his back, causing his breath to come out as a small cloud. He heard her reach the top of the roof, but he didn’t have the heart to look at her.

Hearing her footsteps slow to a halt, he finally lifted his head to look up and saw that she was standing just a few feet away from him. Eden’s cheeks were smeared from where she’d probably tried to wipe her tears. When the next gust of wind blew, it caused her curly hair to fly in every direction.

“You saw?”

Jungkook nodded slowly.

He saw her eyes narrow. “You knew about it, didn’t you?”

His eyes widened.

“Is that why you approached me? Because you knew about my relationship with Yoongi?”

“What?” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “No, that’s not—”

She spread her arm out in a wide flourish. “Of all the shops in Gangnam, you decided to come to mine? Because you _ happened _ to have broken down nearby?” Her hand curled into a fist at her side and Jungkook felt his own hands forming into fists at his thighs. “Do you _ really _ expect me to believe that now?”

He rose to his feet. “Noona, I’m telling you that that’s not—”

“Just how long have you been laughing at me behind my back, Jeon Jungkook?!”

Once again, his body was moving faster than his mind could keep up. In seconds, he crossed the short distance between them and grabbed her by her wrists. Eden tried to wring her hands free, but he held onto them tightly. He could feel her shaking against his palms and when she finally looked at him, he could see tears forming in her eyes again.

It was like he’d been kicked in the gut.

“Eden!” He dropped the honorific for a moment – a slip of the tongue – but this caused her to stop moving long enough for him to collect his thoughts. “I _ swear to you_, that I didn’t know. None of us did. Hyung never even told us that he had a girlfriend.”

A loud, bitter laugh exploded from Eden and it caused him to loosen his grip on one of her wrists. She flung it free so she could land a punch at his shoulder. Jungkook grunted, the blow taking him by surprise. He knew that Eden could fight, but he never imagined that her punch would sting.

“He and I dated for three years and you’re telling me that he never even _ hinted _ that he was with someone?” She released another dark laugh. “Do you take me for a fucking moron?”

“It’s true, Eden Noona.”

Jungkook and Eden both turned toward the direction of her front door and saw Jimin slowly closing it behind him. His brows furrowed and he brushed some of his chestnut hair away from his forehead.

“Jimin Hyung…”

Jimin slowly walked toward them, pausing just a foot away from them.

“We knew that Yoongi Hyung was dating someone, but we never knew who and he never outright told us. Whenever we asked to meet her, he refused to even give us your name.” Jimin sighed. “I never would have imagined that it was you, Noona.”

Jungkook saw Eden’s expression contort with anger and hurt. Her arms relaxed and he let go of her, watching as they fell limply at her side. She looked like someone had pulled the rug right out from under her and she’d gotten the wind knocked out of her lungs. More tears slid down her face and she didn’t even bother wiping them from her cheeks.

“So, all this time,” she said softly, her voice halfway broken from the yelling she’d done earlier, “he kept me hidden away. Like some dirty little secret.”

“That’s not true,” Jungkook replied, not sure if he wanted to continue speaking, “he was always happy whenever he said he was leaving to go on a trip with his special someone. He probably regrets not being honest with you.”

Eden cut her eyes toward him. “Don’t make excuses for him! He lied to me, _ to my face_, for _ years! _ And I…I felt like…” She didn’t finish. Jungkook saw her take a breath, closing her eyes as she did so. When she finally opened them again, she looked at Jimin. “Is Rae Unnie alright?”

Jimin offered her a small smile. “Yeah, I tucked her into bed after giving her water and Tylenol. She’s passed out now.”

“Good.” Eden turned to head back inside and Jungkook grabbed the sleeve of her jacket. Without looking at him, she yanked her arm free. “Don’t. Just…just don’t.” Brushing past Jimin, she headed toward her front door. “…be careful going back home. Goodnight.”

And without waiting for them to wish her the same, she slipped inside and closed the door. Jungkook watched her silhouette shuffle around the front entrance before she disappeared inside. When Jimin sighed, Jungkook turned to look at him. He saw his own pitiful expression mirrored in Jimin’s eyes and he flinched slightly when he felt his brother’s hand falling onto his shoulder.

“Let’s go home.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded.

“Okay, Hyung…”

* * *

_**Three Days Later**_  
_ Seoul – Jangan; Dongdaemun District  
_ _ South Korea _

Jungkook’s brow twitched when Jimin’s fist collided with Taehyung’s cheek. The blow was swift, knocking Taehyung off balance and he watched him struggle to keep himself upright. When he finally did regain his balance, Jimin kicked him in the stomach. A loud grunt echoed through the warehouse as Taehyung doubled over in pain. But Jimin gave him no quarter; landing an uppercut to his jaw. Jungkook watched as his brother’s feet flew out from under him – his back crashing onto the concrete floor.

The warehouse was filled with shipping crates – a storehouse owned by Kim Pilsoo. Pilsoo Hyung stood near the entrance with a group of his men. Jungkook’s eyes lifted to spy Lee Minhyuk, the Jindo Dog of the Jade Fangs, standing nearby with his own entourage. His arms were folded across his chest, his auburn fringe falling just over his eyelids. Minhyuk’s expression remained neutral as Taehyung continued to receive his punishment.

No one made a sound except for Taehyung. He struggled to sit up and failed. Jungkook clenched his jaw tight, watching his brother only manage to roll over onto his stomach – using his forearms to lift himself up.

Jimin kicked him in the ribs.

Jungkook could feel the other members of their group shifting uncomfortably behind him. He held his arm out at an angle, his hand curled into a fist to get them stop their fidgeting. A wracking cough exploded from Taehyung and he vomited up a bit of blood onto the floor. A crimson trail trickled from the cut on his brow and droplets fell from his chin to mesh with the bloodstains on the floor. His cheeks were red and swollen from the abuse he’d endured from Jimin for the last thirty minutes.

Without even having to examine him, Jungkook could tell something was probably broken.

Finally, Jimin pivoted on his heel and swung his leg across Taehyung’s face – the heel of his boot crashing into his cheek. Jungkook could taste blood in his mouth as he watched Taehyung’s body flop from the impact. A few seconds of silence transpired and Jungkook sighed quietly, his eyes roving over Taehyung’s unconscious form.

Jimin wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his leather jacket. He looked at Lee Minhyuk whose eyes remained on Taehyung’s form lying prone on the ground. “Is that satisfactory?”

Minhyuk finally lifted his gaze to meet Jimin’s, his expression unchanged. Another handful of seconds passed and then he smirked, a scoff pushing from his chest. “Yes, that’s enough.” He glanced over toward Pilsoo and bowed his head politely. “Thank you for being the mediator, Pilsoo Hyung. I know Changkyun-ah appreciates it as well.”

Pilsoo grunted, gesturing for his men to move. They all took their places on either side of the door, forming a line across from each other. “Never mind. I’m just glad this matter has been settled.”

“So am I, Hyung,” Minhyuk said with a laugh, “so am I.” He looked at the men in his group and gestured with his chin. “Let’s go.” They bowed to him and began filing out of the warehouse. He paused, casting a sidelong glance toward Jimin and Jungkook as their own men began gathering Taehyung up from the floor. “Consider the offense resolved.” He flashed Jimin a wide smirk, his eyes narrowing. Jimin didn’t smile back. “It was good to see you, Jimin-ah.”

“Same to you, Minhyuk Hyung.”

No one else spoke another word as the Jade Fang members exited the warehouse. Pilsoo waited until they all were in their vehicles and drove away before turning to look back at them. The older man sighed and Jungkook could only hang his head slightly from shame.

“You boys need to be more careful,” he snapped, though his voice did not raise in pitch, “don’t you realize how much Hoseok is doing to maintain order? What you do reflects back on him.”

Jimin bowed deeply. “Yes, I know, Pilsoo Hyung.”

“You’re all young and a bit hot-headed, I get it. But things are different now. It’s not like when I was your age.” Pilsoo sighed. “Especially since you’re trying to go straight. Getting into this world is easy. Getting out is the hard part.”

Jungkook bowed his head but remained silent. Jimin spoke instead.

“We understand, Pilsoo Hyung.”

“Good.” They heard him sigh again; a tired sound. “Now go and get him looked at. I know it hurt you more than it did him, Jimin-ah.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jimin’s hands curling into fists at his sides. But they both refused to lift their heads up. Jungkook’s throat felt like it was closing. He finally closed his eyes, his face still pointing to the ground.

“Thank you, Pilsoo Hyung,” he heard Jimin say. The two of them stood back up, straightening their posture. Jimin looked at Taehyung who was still unconscious. “Let’s go.”

The others bowed to both Jimin and Jungkook, ushering Taehyung out of the warehouse. Jimin followed them, helping them get their friend into the car. Jungkook turned to give another bow of respect to Kim Pilsoo. Then he hopped into the sedan with Jimin.

Taehyung’s body was pressed against the seat and he groaned softly as he began to regain consciousness. “Is it over?” he asked while licking the cut on his lower lip.

Jimin didn’t answer him. Instead, he knocked on the window separating the backseat from the driver and passenger seat. “Cha Gangnam Medical Center,” he said, his voice even, “let’s go.”

Both Jungkook and Taehyung blinked at Jimin. “But, that’s the hospital Rae Noona works at…”

Taehyung tried to sit up but winced, causing him to sit back against the seat again. “H-Hyung…”

“Shut-up,” clipped Jimin as he folded his arms and closed his eyes, “I’m not doing you any favors. I just don’t want to hear your bitching later.”

Jungkook smirked, shaking his head as Taehyung tried to smile but wound up wincing again from his split lip.

They were _ all _ going to get an earful.


	17. Anpanman

"I’m not a superhero.  
Don’t expect too much from me."

Raelyn avoided Taehyung’s room for most of her shift.

It was no secret among her co-workers that she knew him. After all, he was always coming by the hospital when she was about to clock out for the day. It aggravated her that things were already starting to circulate around work; unwanted rumors because everyone wanted to gossip like a bunch of clucking hens in the chicken coop. This was the sort of mess she didn’t want to happen. This was the very reason why she didn’t make her relationship with Hoseok known to the people she worked with day in and day out.

When Taehyung was brought in by Jungkook and Jimin, the news traveled quickly to her. However, she refused to see him. She didn’t want to inquire about his condition and she certainly wasn’t about to go poking around his chart to see why he was even there. However, try as she might, Raelyn was unable to stuff rubber into her ears. She heard things she didn’t want to hear, resulting in her heart thudding heavily against her chest.

She was worried for a multitude of reasons. It wasn’t like she hated the Golden Jackals. They were her friends once upon a time; some still even were. But there were boundaries that needed to be set and every time she felt like she was about to escape from it, something came and turned her world completely upside down.

After he was fully checked in did Raelyn bother seeking out Jungkook and Jimin. They filled her in on the basics, not wanting to go into it. They respected her need for peace and privacy and she appreciated that. There was a part of her that would always worry for them, but she knew she had to keep her distance to a degree. Raelyn couldn’t involve herself too deeply. Not anymore. It would only cause her more problems and while things had been good with Hoseok, there were too many things she’d seen that left a lasting impression on her.

She couldn’t watch another person she cared about being ripped from her grasp – making her feel inept. Not again.

She was pulling another double. It couldn’t be helped. Another of her co-workers had a family emergency, swearing she would make it up to her for covering for her. Most people would complain, but it wasn’t like she had a family to go home to or any kind of pet to take care of. She could afford to be away from home for a day or two.

Raelyn sighed, grabbing a warm coffee from one of the vending machines in the break room. Her mind couldn’t help but go back to the night she was out with Eden. Yoo Kihyun’s face appeared in her mind and she frowned slightly, unsure of what to make of the entire situation. She couldn’t recall ever meeting him or any of the others of the Jade Fangs. She wasn’t good with names, but Raelyn was stellar when it came to faces.

_ So, how did he even know who I was? _ she thought, cracking the can open and taking a sip. _ We were only together for a little over a year. _

Taking a sip, she slipped into one of the chairs at a long table. Had they kept tabs on her even after she ended things with Hoseok? It wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility, but it also seemed a little outlandish.

Hoseok made no bones about taking Raelyn around places. Back then, the Golden Jackals were just getting their names out on the streets. Gang wars were much more prevalent then and she got to see firsthand just how bloody their world was. Truly, it wasn’t like in the movies. She had no thoughts outside of the dangers of that world. Raelyn willingly went into that situation knowing what would happen. Promises were thrown and she believed them because she believed in Hoseok and the world he eventually wanted to be a part of forever. A world that didn’t involve having a target on his back.

It was something they were all striving for.

But it was too much. She tried to keep an open mind and she tried to maintain some level of positivity. Her work environment, however, wouldn’t allow for that sort of thing. As a registered nurse, her life was hard and while she loved her job, it was stressful. Hospital occupations weren’t for everyone. It took a toll on the mind and it took _ from _the body. She could have left it all behind when things started to pick up for Hoseok and the Golden Jackals. The glitz and glam in those last months were experiences that most women didn’t get to have; not even in their entire lifetimes.

Raelyn, however, valued her freedom. She didn’t want to give up her job and her passion was always to help people. She couldn’t imagine herself walking away from that life, the life she worked so hard to call her own.

“Raelyn?”

Her eyes lifted towards the door and she saw her co-worker, Saeyeong, poking her head inside. Raelyn attempted a smirk as she set her can of coffee down.

“What’s up, Sae?”

“I’m glad I found you.” She paused, her brows furrowing slightly. “You’re not on break, are you?”

“Nah,” she replied easily, waving her hand back and forth, “just taking a breather. I was gonna hit the floor again in a few minutes.”

Relief covered her face and Saeyeong clapped her hands together. “Oh, good! Can you do me a favor and check on the patient in room 117?”

The smirk fell instantly from Raelyn’s face. “No.”

Saeyeong let out a pathetic mewling sound. “_Please_, Raelyn? I _ really _ have to go to the bathroom and I’m about to go on break in ten minutes.” She held her hands together like she was saying a prayer. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise! I’m not even going to be gone for the full hour. I’ll be back in thirty minutes to take over.”

Raelyn sighed, draining the can of coffee and throwing it into the trash. “Fine,” she said, making her way toward the door.

The girl hugged her, thanking her again, before running off to make a beeline for the restroom. Eyeing her watch, she sighed again and started heading toward the room she was currently designated over for the next thirty minutes. Raelyn pulled the chart off the wall just beside the door, knocked twice and announced herself before entering.

Taehyung, bandaged and braced, was propped up in the hospital bed. A table tray was in his lap where a laptop computer was propped. The television was off even though the remote was right beside the computer. He probably didn’t want to watch anything on TV after channel surfing. He clicked away on the keys, looking up as she walked inside – pressing his chart against her hip as the door shut behind her.

He flashed his trademark boxy smile and Raelyn rolled her eyes.

“Hey there, Rae Noona,” he greeted, lifting his one good arm up to wave to her. The other was in a sling.

“Don’t talk to me,” she said, a deadpan expression over her face, “you still owe me for my unannounced house call.”

He pouted. “Oh, come on, you know I’m good for it.” He closed the laptop. “Besides, I even made an appointment this time. See?” Taehyung gave a wide gesture with his good arm.

“Coming in all busted up is hardly what I’d call an appointment,” she said, looking over his chart, “in fact, I’m pretty sure that it’s still considered showing up unannounced.”

Taehyung huffed like a child, brushing some of his hair off his forehead. Raelyn ignored his sad attempt at a tantrum and scanned over the paperwork. According to the chart, he had one broken rib, a fractured arm, several contusions and slight internal bleeding. The patchwork done on him had been swift and the other nurses said that he’d clearly been in some sort of fight; a fight where he got his ass kicked from one side of the room to the other. Taehyung was certainly no pushover. He took a knife to the gut and practically shrugged it off when she fixed him up a few days ago.

_ He _ **_l_****_et _** _ someone do this to him _, she deduced while turning another page.

She recalled Jimin’s hands were slightly swollen and Jungkook had no injuries of his own. It meant that Jimin had clearly been the one to administer the beating. There was a good chance that Taehyung deserved it, but the look on their faces was proof that it was something they weren’t too thrilled about.

Raelyn looked at Taehyung, his child-like pout still plastered over his face. _ Just what the hell did you do that you got punished? _

It had to have been something serious if Hoseok issued for punishment to be placed on one of his top-tier men.

“What?”

She let the pages flutter against his chart as she set it down on a nearby table. “You look like shit.”

His eyes went wide, his mouth falling open. Blinking at her like a goldfish, he closed his mouth and opened it again until a sound of outright disbelief spilled from him.

“_Wow_, your bedside manner really _ is _ terrible!”

Raelyn went to the ECG to double check his vitals. She then began checking his IV and various other tubes so that the medicine being administered was the right dosage. Pulling out a blood pressure cuff from one of the pouches hanging from the ECG monitor, she motioned for him to hold his good arm out so she could check his blood pressure. After a few minutes, she looked and scribbled down his new vitals before slipping the cuff off his arm. Then she moved to undo his hospital gown so she could check on the brace he wore around his waist.

“I’m just honest.”

“No, you’re just mean. Aren’t nurses trained in being comforting and supportive? Give me some reassurance here.”

“I’m not in the business of telling lies.” Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. “Besides, you don’t need comforting. You needed this ass beating, one hundred percent.”

Taehyung gave a half scoff, half laugh. “You’re the worst.”

“And you owe me money.”

They looked at each other for a long moment. She could see the playful deviousness leaving Taehyung’s face and she saw it change to a serious expression. It surprised her, causing her spine to lock up for a moment. While she’d seen that look before, it was a look she didn’t see very often. Not from him, at least.

“I heard you were in Myeongdong, Noona.”

Her brows lifted slightly. Then they furrowed as her eyes narrowed. “Yeah? What of it?”

“Why would you go there?”

“A girl can’t go shopping?”

“Sure,” he said with a shrug, “but you’re not just _ any girl _, Noona.”

Tossing the clipboard angrily onto the nearby table, she rounded on him. “Oh yeah?” Her tone was borderline seething.

“Yeah, you’re Hoseok Hyung’s ex-girlfriend.” He said it like he’d just swallowed a spoonful of bitter medicine.

“_Ex _-girlfriend,” Raelyn said through clenched teeth, “as in we’re not together anymore.”

Taehyung’s brows knit together. “That doesn’t matter, you should know that. Our world doesn’t care about that shit.”

“Well, it needs to! I have nothing to do with that circuit anymore, Taehyung!”

His eyes narrowed. “Then you should have done a better job of running from it. You should have cut us out of your life completely.” Taehyung shifted so he could sit up better. “You could have ignored us after you broke up with Hoseok Hyung. Why did you stay friends with us if you wanted to get out?”

“That’s—”

“If you’d done a better job of wiping us out from your existence, then maybe you’d be just like _ any _ girl instead of _ the _girl.”

“So what? I’m supposed to just pretend that I don’t give a damn?” she snapped, feeling her heartbeat thundering across her chest.

“You value your freedom so damn much, then _ yeah_, you should have.”

Anger flashed across his eyes, making Raelyn clench her jaw.

“Don’t.”

“You _ chose _ to stay connected to us. You broke up with Hoseok Hyung, but you didn’t push the rest of us away.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Kim Taehyung…”

“You should have done a better job of telling us to fuck right the hell off!”

Raelyn’s hand went up and she had to stop herself. Her body vibrated from the willpower she mustered to keep her hand from swinging down across his face. A few breaths pushed from her lungs and she slowly brought her arm down, taking another breath to collect herself completely.

“Uh, am I interrupting something?”

Her heart immediately jumped to her throat and they both turned to look at the door. A tall, slim man wearing a pin-striped suit was now inside the room with them. He had bubblegum pink hair and was holding a vase full of flowers in one arm and a “Get Well Soon” balloon in his other hand. He wore hazel contact lenses and his full lips were slightly pursed together in a semi-confused pout.

“Hyungwon Hyung,” Taehyung said, shifting uncomfortably in the bed and Raelyn instinctively took a step back away from the person, “what are you doing here?” He paused, tilting his head as he looked through the window and saw that there was no one else there. “Better question: _ how _are you even here?”

The man smirked, setting the vase down on the table. “Would you believe me if I told you I snuck in?”

Taehyung frowned. “Hell no.”

Hyungwon shrugged, holding the balloon out to Raelyn. She reached for it unconsciously, holding the plastic ribbon in her hand.

“It was worth a shot.”

“Excuse me,” she finally cut in, eyeballing Hyungwon. He turned to face her, surmising her just as much as she was him. “Who are you?”

He bowed his head politely toward her. “Chae Hyungwon,” he introduced, rising to his full height, “I’m a friend of Taehyung-ah’s.”

“Friend, my ass,” he said, causing both Raelyn and Hyungwon to look at him, “we stopped being _friends_ when you became the Jade Fang’s Snapping Turtle.”

Raelyn whipped her head around to look at Hyungwon, taking another step back. Taehyung asked the right question. Just _ how _ had he gotten there? Last time she checked, Gangnam was still Golden Jackal territory. He didn’t have any business being there.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Raelyn said evenly, “you’re _ not _ supposed to be here.”

“_Relax_,” came Hyungwon’s soothing voice as he held a hand up, “I promise that I have permission to be here.” He turned to look at Taehyung. “From _ both _of our bosses.”

Blinking rapidly, Raelyn couldn’t hide her surprise. _ Hoseok allowed a rival gang member to come into his territory without an escort? _

She looked at Taehyung and saw that he must have been thinking the same thing she was. Now her curiosity was screaming at her. Just what in the world was happening? When she last was deeply involved with their world, the Jade Fangs weren’t exactly on good terms.

Had something changed?

“Anyway, I just wanted to come by and check on an old friend.” Hyungwon’s voice cut through Raelyn’s thoughts, bringing her back to the current situation.

Taehyung scoffed. “You came alone?”

He brushed his fingers through his pink hair, his smirk remaining on his face as he did so. “I told my boys to wait outside. I didn’t want them causing a disturbance.” Hyungwon’s eyes shifted to Raelyn and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “This is a place of healing, after all.”

One of Raelyn’s hands curled into a fist.

“Besides,” he continued, looking back at Taehyung, “I wanted to come by and tell you to keep your nose clean. You were always a troublemaker, Taehyung-ah, but running around in someone else’s backyard without permission is a big no-no.” He waggled his finger, issuing several _ tsk_’s in the process. “You know better.”

“Shut-up,” Taehyung snapped, his lip curling into a half snarl, “pretty soon none of that shit is gonna matter anyway and you know it. So just mind your own damn business.”

Hyungwon laughed, as if he’d just heard a very funny joke. Raelyn could only blink in mild shock. Just who the hell was this guy for him to laugh that way to a warning being issued against him?

“So close to your goals and you decide to get reckless? That’s just not like you. Not at all.” Hyungwon’s laughter eased off as he looked back at Raelyn, bowing his head politely again. “I’ll see myself out. Have a goodnight.” When he straightened his posture, his eyes moved to fall on Taehyung. “Behave yourself until your dreams come true, Taehyung-ah.”

Before Raelyn could demand for anymore answers, Hyungwon was already turning around and heading out the door. When the door finally closed, she craned her neck to look at Taehyung. His ECG monitor was beeping faster than normal and while the medical professional in her wanted to soothe him, to calm him down, she found that she was unable to find her voice at that specific moment.

Silence filled the room. She was processing what just happened and she could only assume that Taehyung was doing the same. When she was able to formulate the question in her mind, she reached for his chart and held it against her chest.

“…what did he mean by that?” He didn’t answer and Raelyn tried to rein her patience in. “Are you guys finally close? Is it going to happen soon?”

Taehyung looked at her and for a long moment, he didn’t say anything. All he did was look at her with a slightly pained expression painted over his face. After a moment, he sighed while shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, Noona, but could I be alone?”

She wanted to protest; to demand answers. But she also knew it wasn’t her place and she didn’t have that kind of authority over him. Not anymore.

“Get some rest, Taehyung. I’ll be back to check on you later.”

Raelyn slipped out of the room and was finally able to breathe easier. Her back pressed against the door and she slowly let the back of her head rest along the surface. Every single thought that raced through her brain was zipping around a mile a minute. Was it happening at last? Had Hoseok managed to achieve the promise that he continuously made to her when they were still together?

_ Is it…finally going to be over? _


	18. MIC Drop

"Careful of your feet...  
Careful of what you say..."

** _Two Years Ago  
_ ** _ Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
_ _ South Korea _

_ “Hey, Hyung?” _

_ Hoseok looked up from his reading, blinking when he realized that Taehyung managed to enter his study without making a sound. It wasn’t like him to be so quiet, especially not at home. He closed the book he was reading, running a hand through his hair as Taehyung closed the door behind him. He wasted no time closing the distance between them, taking the seat directly across from his desk. _

_ “What is it, Taehyung-ah?” _

_ For a moment, Taehyung didn’t say anything. There was something on his mind and he felt like Hoseok was the only one who would be able to help him with whatever was troubling him. Instead of prodding him to speak up, Hoseok waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts before continuing. He set the book down on his desk, crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands into his lap. _

_ Taehyung lifted his eyes to look at Hoseok, seeing a determination he hadn’t seen since they’d first arrived in Seoul seven years ago. _

_ “Hyung?” _

_Hoseok couldn’t help but laugh, tilting his head to the side. “What’s wrong? Your tongue got fat all of a sudden?” _

_He watched his friend swallow thickly before lowering his head. This caused Hoseok to sit up a little, his arms resting on the arms of his chair. _

_ “Taehyung-ah…” _

_ “Hyung, are you still in love with Raelyn Noona?” _

_ The question was so sudden that he didn’t know what to make of it. It wasn’t often that he was caught off guard, but a puff of air was all he could release as he tried to process just what Taehyung was asking him. And more importantly, _ ** _why_ ** _ he was asking him this? _

_ “Why all of a sudden?” _

_ He saw Taehyung’s eyes narrow slightly, showcasing just how serious he was. This wasn’t a joke and Hoseok didn’t know how should be taking such an outright question when it came to his heart. Pursing his lips together, he slowly sank back into his chair. _

_ “Are you asking as a member of the Golden Jackals or are you asking as my friend?” _

_ Taehyung straightened his posture. “I’m asking as your friend and as your younger brother. Hyung, please…I need to know.” He paused, taking a breath. “Do the rest of us have to keep seeing her as our Hyungsoo-nim or are you over her now?” _

_ Hoseok’s hand went to his chest, his palm resting over the fabric of his pajama top. The cold bite of silver from the pendant that hung there made him that much more aware of the current situation. It wasn’t a secret that some of the younger ones still interacted with Raelyn and Anastasia. He couldn’t tell them who they could or couldn’t be friends with – not when it came to normal civilians. He didn’t want to be the kind of leader who held them back with a choke chain. They were free to make their own choices and he wasn’t about to tell them who they could or couldn’t have feelings for. _

_ Without having to say it, Hoseok knew Taehyung must have started developing feelings for Raelyn. _

_ Sighing, he shook his head while he lowered his hand back down to his lap. “It’s been a year since she and I ended things, Taehyung-ah. Do I still care about her? Of course. But,” he said gently, pausing as he gave Taehyung a simple smile, “our time is over.” _

* * *

**** **_Present Day_**  
_ Seoul – Gwanhun; Jongno District  
_ _ South Korea _

Hoseok sat in the backseat of the sedan for a long moment. His eyes were hidden from view thanks to his Aviators. He held his phone in his hand, scrolling through the various emails and text messages he’d received in the last couple of hours. Business meetings were pushed back and a few concerned messages from the others pinged over his phone. His driver, Han Minjoo, sat quietly in the front seat and merely waited for his next set of instructions.

The mid-morning sun peeled in through the window, shining over his pristine white slacks. His white blazer was unbuttoned, falling against his white silk shirt. Hoseok’s hand lifted to touch the pendant that hung from his neck from a simple, black leather strap. The points of the crescent moon pressed against the pads of his fingers and he bit his lower lip, his thoughts eerily quiet.

He’d received a report on Taehyung’s condition. It wasn’t as bad as he imagined it to be, but it was bad enough. He remembered the looks on Jimin and Jungkook’s faces when they came home that night after taking Taehyung to the hospital. Namjoon even reported that Taehyung was enjoying his time at the hospital and he sighed, wanting to visit his brother but knowing that it wasn’t suitable for his image or the role he currently occupied.

Besides, he didn’t think he could handle seeing Raelyn after his little “episode” and knew that Taehyung was in good hands.

He was with the person he cared about.

A soft tap on the window brought Hoseok out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Namjoon on the other side of the glass and he shifted slightly so that he could open the door. Hoseok stepped out, straightening his jacket as his rings glinted along the sunlight.

“They’ve prepared a room for us,” Namjoon said as he shut the door, “we can go ahead and make ourselves comfortable.”

“The others?” Hoseok inquired and he saw Namjoon shake his head. He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket to spy the time on his watch. “It’s still early. Let’s go.”

As they entered the _ Kyung-in Museum of Fine Art_, a hostess greeted them before ushering them toward the back. The entire place was built like a magnificent _ hanok_, keeping to the traditional aspects of their country’s period culture. They both stepped out of their shoes, their socked feet taking measured steps along the polished wooden floor. The hostess stopped in front of a room with traditional rice paper sliding doors. She pulled one door open, gesturing for them to enter.

Inside was a single wooden table with an elegant tea set, as well as a small kettle to boil water in one of the floor coals – a small cast iron kettle hanging from two metal rods from the floor. There was a black lacquered box on the table which Hoseok knew to contain a variety of tea leaves. The two men entered and Hoseok took a seat on one of the plush cushions placed on one side of the table. Namjoon remained standing.

They didn’t say anything, which was fine with Hoseok. There was a lot weighing on his mind and Namjoon seemed to have sensed this. He reached over to light the fire for the coals under the cast iron kettle after checking that water was inside. When the water reached its boiling point, he heard feet shuffling down the hall. The door to the room slid open again and Hoseok’s craned his neck to look toward the doorway.

Im Changkyun, dressed in a three-piece black suit, stood in the doorway; Sohn Shownu, his second, standing to his right.

Changkyun smiled, his hands still stuffed into the pockets of his slacks. “Ah, I see you’re here already, Hoseok Hyung,” he said, his tone pleasant, “does that mean I’m late?”

Hoseok grinned. “No, I’m just early.”

“Oh, good,” was all he said before stepping inside.

Changkyun crouched down so he could sit on the cushion across from Hoseok, his hands resting on his knees. The steam pushed from the kettle’s spout and he reached over to take the handle of the kettle while Hoseok pulled out one of the drawers to the tea chest. Shownu remained in the hallway and Namjoon crossed the room to join him. The two men bowed to their bosses before sliding the door closed to give them privacy.

Hoseok chose several dark leaves and placed them into the ceramic teapot that was on the table. The stainless-steel strainer sat around the top. After arranging the tea to spread over the strainer, Changkyun carefully poured the boiling hot water over the leaves. The water immediately began to change color – a soft red color. When the pot was empty, Changkyun replaced the cast iron kettle over the hot coals as Hoseok poured more water into it.

“I’m sorry for asking you to come out here on such short notice,” Changkyun said as he placed the lid onto the pot, “I know how busy you are.”

“Not as busy as you are,” he said, watching Changkyun lift the tea pot off the bamboo mat it rested on. His hands moved to pour the _ omija _ tea into Hoseok’s teacup.

He began pouring tea into his own cup. “You know what they say about idle hands, Hyung.” He said this with a smile and Hoseok arched a single brow. “How is Tae Hyung?”

Hoseok lifted the teacup to his lips. “He’ll live.” He took a sip, savoring the semi-sweet flavor. “He was discharged yesterday.”

“That’s good. Minhyuk Hyung informed me of how your boys roughed him up.” Changkyun sipped from his own cup, sighing. “I’ll be honest, Hyung, I didn’t think you would go so far to beat him up like that. One broken limb would have sufficed.”

Hoseok’s brow twitched. “Like I told you on the phone, I don’t take kindly to anyone trouncing through my territory. The same goes for my men doing the same in someone else’s turf.” He set the cup down. “I believe that should settle the debt I owe to you for my group’s transgression against yours.”

Changkyun smiled. “Hyung, that’s not necessary. It’s just us. You don’t have to be so serious.”

“It’s _ because it’s just us _ that I have to be serious.” His eyes narrowed as Changkyun took another sip of tea. “Why did you want to meet, Changkyun-ah?”

He watched Changkyun’s eyes lift to meet his and the two remained quiet. After a handful of seconds, Hoseok watched him set his teacup back down on the table while he propped one hand on his knee. The other hand brushed through his jet hair, pausing to rest along the back of his neck.

“Is it true, Hyung? Are you _ really _going straight?” Hoseok’s expression stayed neutral. He didn’t want to give anything away when he didn’t know what was at stake. “After everything you’ve accomplished, you’re going to just give it all up?”

“Staying in the Underworld forever was never the plan.” He paused, reaching for the teapot to pour Changkyun tea into his cup this time.

“So what,” Changkyun began, his tone clipped toward the end, “you just stumbled into it and decided enough was enough?” He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Hoseok scoffed as he set the teapot down onto the bamboo mat. “Believe what you want, but the choices we made were our own.”

“And what about the rest of your boys?”

“They know what the plan is.”

“Hoseok Hyung!”

“Changkyun-ah,” Hoseok said slowly as he cut his eyes toward him, “what we do as a collective has absolutely _ nothing _ to do with you, do you understand?” He paused, lifting his teacup into his hand. “Besides, you don’t even bother to attend the district meetings. What reason do you have to complain about what I choose to do?”

“It’s a waste,” snipped Changkyun, “the meetings are a waste of time and phasing out from our world is a waste of time.” Hoseok frowned. “Do you think that disbanding is going to make you legit? You think the law is going to look at you in a better light because you’ve turned over a new leaf?” Changkyun sneered. “Bullshit.”

“Watch it.” He was giving him just one warning.

“We’re no better than a bunch of bastard children in our own society, Hyung. Becoming a decent human being in the eyes of the world won’t erase the blood on our hands.” Changyun’s eyes narrowed at Hoseok. “On _ your _hands.”

“Im Changkyun—”

“Let’s join forces, Hyung,” he said suddenly, causing Hoseok to blink rapidly as his lips parted. “You and I can take control of this entire city _ easily_. It’s child’s play.” Changkyun flashed a wicked grin. “The old bastards wouldn’t stand a chance against us.”

For a moment, all Hoseok could do was stare silently at Changkyun. He knew that his ambition was borderline insatiable, but he never imagined it had gotten this bad. Then again, when he’d heard that the Jade Fangs had taken over Mapo, it shouldn’t have surprised him. In fact, it urged Hoseok to hurry things along as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to be caught up in whatever schemes Im Changkyun was planning.

“…are you completely outside of your head, Changkyun-ah?”

Changkyun’s smile fell and was instantly replaced with a frown as his eyes grew dark. “Why would you say that?”

“Did you forget what our lives were like five years ago? What it was like on these streets then?” Hoseok’s brows furrowed. “Do you want to launch yet _ another _ gang war?”

He watched Changkyun shrug nonchalantly. “Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. Those old fogies want to maintain those stupid traditions and respect boundaries. It only causes confusion and leads to more misunderstandings.” He glanced to Hoseok, his own brows knitting together. “It _impedes_ _progress_, Hyung.”

“You’re gonna get you and your boys killed talking like that.” Hoseok set his cup down onto the table, curling his legs up as he made to stand. “If you do, that’s on you. Leave my people out of it.” He started making his way toward the door.

“Hyung!”

Hoseok paused, glancing over his shoulder as Changkyun remained seated.

“Do you really think you’ll be able to stay in Seoul once you leave? Your people remain untouched because you control two large territories. The minute you let that go is when you let that power fall into someone else’s hands, and they will make your lives hell!”

He turned around fully, one hand slipping into the pocket of his slacks. “You say that like some kind of threat.”

Changkyun stood on his feet. “And not just you, Hyung, but the people close to you. They will make it their mission to turn your world upside down and you will bow your head in shame at how weak you are.”

“I meant what I said, Changkyun-ah,” said Hoseok, his voice dropping an entire octave, “_she _ has nothing to do with us. _ Her friends _ have nothing to do with us. You’d do well to leave them out of this madness you’re spinning.”

“But how long is that going to be true?” Changkyun canted his head slightly. “And when it’s no longer true, just how safe will they be?” He smirked. “You shouldn’t show your belly so easily, Hyung.”

“Don’t test me.” Hoseok brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I _ will end you _if you do.”

Changkyun stepped up to Hoseok so that they were only a foot apart. His smile never left his face. “Game on, Hyung. Game on.”

And then he bowed his head before reaching out to slide the door open. Shownu bowed his head and waited for Changkyun to walk past him, making to follow behind him obediently. Namjoon stood in front of Hoseok, remaining silent. Hoseok’s eyes followed Changkyun and Shownu as they were escorted out of the teahouse. A hand curled at his side and his knuckles popped from the sheer force of how hard he was squeezing his hand.

“Hoseok-ah?”

“Namjoon,” he called, his voice even before turning to lift his gaze to his friend’s, “we need to hurry and make our move. And soon.” 


	19. Magic Shop

"I won’t say clichéd things like 'have strength'.  
I’ll just listen to you, listen..."

_ Busan - Marine City; Haeundae District  
_ _ South Korea _

The trip to Busan yielded much fruit.

Seokjin expected no less, however, when it came to Anastasia.

While she already submitted her letter of resignation to her own company, holding true to her word, Seokjin decided it was best that he kept his as well. He would give her time to bid her co-workers farewell and to get her affairs in order. When she brought the contract, it was signed and he also put his own signature on it as well – completing the deal with his sealing stamp. It didn’t surprise him that she was anxiously waiting for anything to change; for the final nail to sink into her coffin.

But no, this was the beginning of a very beautiful relationship. He would make sure of that.

And he did. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Seokjin informed her that she needed to pack a suitcase so they could go on a business trip. He wanted to take the time to properly get to know her in the business aspect. He knew what she was like personally, at least from what the younger ones often mentioned. She was funny, loyal, and fair. But she also had self-esteem issues, mostly stemming from attempting to claim a dream and failing in said endeavor.

He didn’t want her to feel she couldn’t take anymore risks. Certain risks could bring the greatest rewards. But some gambles left a person completely destitute. Seokjin wanted to make sure that she was capable of discerning which types of deals she would be willing to take to bring more profit to the company, as well as reassure her that it was okay to make mistakes.

They took the train to Busan. There was no need to rush. They had three days of work ahead of them, all paid for and then some. Seokjin explained the details of what they were to do while they were out and about. It was also a chance for her to explore and get some downtime away from the cramped office space of a corporate building. Most of her work would involve being at his side as he conducted business deals and attended corporate meetings. Again, something she was used to, but not in such an intimate fashion.

Anastasia enjoyed taking photos and would do so every time they stopped. She had a keen eye for location and architecture, as well as for anything that looked aesthetically pleasing or what sorts of things could use improvement. It was a little difficult to get her to talk about herself, but when she did, the American woman did not hold back and it was something Seokjin appreciated. Her honesty made her human and being more human meant being more empathetic to the ideas and understandings of others. It was a necessary skill when it came to being an investment company. Sometimes it wasn’t always about turning a profit.

He took her to various shopping centers, allowing her to take notes on a variety of stores. They tried different foods and tested out a plethora of products. Everything from electronics to makeup and skincare items. She seemed a little surprised at how her complexion looked after having a makeup artist provided her with a color palette to suit her skin tone. Seokjin purchased the kit, as well as the skincare lineup that accompanied the makeup. Anastasia protested, of course, but he simply told her that it was work-related and to let it be. She couldn’t properly help to advise him on what to do with his finances if she didn’t know what they were investing in.

The first day blew by faster than either anticipated. They enjoyed a nice meal at a high-end restaurant where he offered up suggestions. She listened and even asked the servers what they recommended for the evening. Again, Anastasia took notes even while they ate, which amused Seokjin.

The second day was much more productive and they visited more stores. A few of them offered sales pitches to which Seokjin listened politely. He offered his ear to Anastasia, wanting to hear what her thoughts were on a few of the companies. Practical and fair, she agreed that some needed to be reworked before they could be given investment funds to continue their ventures. She even reached as far back to the factory workers who would be producing some of the items that were being pitched to them. This was something most people failed to consider or would completely disregard the workers’ financial needs in the production line. Could they afford to give compensation and pay their people overtime? Would they have paid holidays off and was there a rollover system for PTO?

Every single detail was not overlooked by Anastasia and she gave advice even when they looked to Seokjin since he rarely spoke in these instances. In actual board meetings with a few of the companies he’d invested in, he made sure that she was right beside him to hear and comprehend everything that was going on. She didn’t have very many questions and when she did, she did not hesitate to ask them to the other board members. There were whispers about her being disrespectful for speaking for Seokjin, but he quickly squashed those comments when he explained her position on his staffing team.

They took breaks often, which he insisted. She didn’t complain but he could tell that she was averse to the idea of breaking her momentum. But after the eighth meeting scheduled for the day, he could tell that Anastasia needed a break.

Seokjin took her to a variety of places, explaining the reasoning behind wanting to invest all the way out in Busan. The Golden Jackals weren’t planning on working the underground circuit forever. Assimilating their assets, selling off those they didn’t need, was all part of the plan to legalize themselves. Golden Star was just the beginning. With Jimin working Jeju and Taehyung dipping into the entertainment industry alongside Namjoon, eventually they would be able to build from those foundations and focus on key aspects of their company that they wanted to shine the most. Even Jungkook’s eyes were turned toward industrialization and Yoongi’s foreign relations were key to solidifying their own need for investment overseas.

And Hoseok would be the figurehead over it all.

Their final night in Busan was a celebratory one. He wanted to reward Anastasia for all her hard work. She agreed to the reward, but only accepted it on the terms and conditions that it would be a casual night. Nothing fancy and nothing that involved her having to walk around in high heels all night. Seokjin laughed, obliging.

They agreed on dinner and a movie. Anastasia preferred actions or thrillers to horror films and Seokjin wasn’t really a fan of romantic comedies. They came to a happy medium, settling for a murder mystery film instead. After it finished, they discussed when they were able to conclude who the actual killer was at the family estate.

Seokjin liked it when Anastasia laughed. He enjoyed seeing her nose wrinkle up when she blew her food and how freely she smiled when something tasted good or if she saw something amusing. There were times when she seemed to have a faraway look in her eye, but then he’d have to catch her as she tripped over her own feet. As organized as she was, he found it a little humanizing that she was also a bit of a klutz.

“I want to shoot fireworks on the beach,” she said suddenly as they walked and ate _ Bungeoppang_.

He chewed, the sweet red bean paste thick on his tongue as he looked down at her. “What?” Seokjin laughed. “Do you know how cold it gets at the beaches here during this time of year?”

She took another bite of the fish-shaped bread, blowing around her teeth to cool the snack. “So?” Anastasia swallowed, puffing one of her cheeks out at him as he scrutinized her. “I’ve never done it before. Get off me.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “And you want to do it now?”

Anastasia shrugged. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back out here just for fun.”

Seokjin grinned, nudging her shoulder just a bit. “Don’t worry,” he said gently, “you’ll be able to come out here when you have time off and enjoy yourself. I promise.”

She rolled her eyes. “You and your promises.”

“I haven’t broken one yet, have I?”

Anastasia raised her brows at him. “Well, no…but—”

He shook his head. “Then trust me when I tell you that you’ll be able to come out here again.” He leaned in toward her as they continued walking. “…when it’s _ warmer_.”

“I’m holding you to that,” she said while pointing at him.

“Feel free,” Seokjin replied easily, polishing off the rest of the fish-shaped bread. He watched her do the same. “Tired?”

Anastasia gave a nod while attempting to stifle a yawn. “Yeah, a little bit.” She stretched her arms over her head. “Are we still scheduled to leave in the morning?”

He nodded. “We are. Unless you’d prefer we leave tonight.”

“Getting train tickets this last minute is expensive.” She frowned up at him and he did his best not to smirk. He merely arched a brow with mild curiosity. They began walking down the street to head back to their hotel. “Besides, we haven’t even packed our things or checked out of the hotel yet. Don’t be unreasonable.”

“Who’s being unreasonable?”

“_You _ are,” she clipped while rolling her eyes, “knowing you, you’d make the staff work double time just so they wouldn’t get a bad review.”

Seokjin laughed outright as they turned the street corner, his hands slipping into his coat pockets. “So harsh. Last minute checkouts aren’t unheard of, nor are they unreasonable.”

“No, they’re not. But in this case, it’s completely unnecessary. Don’t make those people sweat for no reason.”

He laughed at the reprimanding expression painted over her face and nodded, making sure that she walked on the inside of the sidewalk and away from the street. It was a little late, but Seokjin knew that they would have enough time to pack and get everything together tonight before leaving first thing in the morning. As soon as they arrived back in Seoul, it would be business as usual. He’d already received the reports from Namjoon and the others. Taehyung was out of the hospital and Hoseok was uneasy after his meeting with Changkyun.

He knew that Hoseok would never say it out loud, but Namjoon conveyed his worries over the phone. Things were moving faster than they anticipated and Seokjin couldn’t help but wonder if The Jade Fangs were in the process of making another move to expand their reach.

“Seokjin-ssi?”

Seokjin looked at Anastasia, blinking a few times when he realized she had a concerned look on her face.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“No, you just looked like you were deep in thought.”

His smile fell a margin. “Did I worry you?”

She nodded and, again, he appreciated her honesty.

Seokjin reached out to press his hand to her lower back, ushering her toward their hotel just as a sleek gunmetal sedan pulled up by the entrance. He took note that her brows were furrowed and he tried to give her his best smile. He didn’t like that he even had such a look on his face.

_ Strange_, he thought, _ I normally don’t let people read me like that_.

As they made their way toward the front entrance, Seokjin’s eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar figure exit the vehicle. He leaned toward Anastasia so he could whisper into her ear.

“Go ahead and get some rest.”

She seemed to take note of the situation, reading it quicker than he’d anticipated. Her brows furrowed with concern as she tried her best not to bring any attention to herself. He really did appreciate her care.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, an attempt to reassure her. “Yes, I’ll be inside soon.” Seokjin met her gaze, smiling to alleviate any worries she may have had. “I promise.”

Anastasia bit her lower lip before nodding and entering the hotel. Once inside, Seokjin waited until she entered the elevator. Once the doors closed, he turned and glanced over his shoulder as the person approached him. His lip piercing was connected to a chain that was attached to his right earring. Seokjin saw him grin widely at him, however he didn’t return the smile.

“Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here of all places, Jin Hyung.”

“Wonho-yah,” came Seokjin’s even tone, a soft lilt toward the end of it, “I didn’t expect to see you here either.”

Wonho shrugged. “Oh, you know, business meetings and the like.” Seokjin watched his eyes dart toward the hotel lobby where, thankfully, Anastasia was no longer located. “Was that your personal assistant?” Their eyes met once more. “She’s kinda cute.”

“Don’t even dream about it,” he said while grinning, “you wouldn’t be able to keep up with her.”

He saw Wonho’s lips form into an “O” shape before it melted into a smirk, his eyes narrowing deviously. “Is that a challenge?”

Seokjin scoffed while tilting his head to the side. “She’d eat you alive. Salvage your pride a little, will you?”

Wonho belted out a full laugh, his eyes almost disappearing as he did so. Seokjin grinned but there was no warmth behind his eyes. The younger male held his hands up in mock surrender while shaking his head. After a while, the two just stood shoulder to shoulder, faces in opposing directions.

“You know, Jin Hyung, I heard an interesting little rumor.”

“Do I want to know?”

Wonho shrugged, his head lifting to the sky. “If it’s true, it’s a shame.”

Seokjin cast a sidelong glance to him. “Yeah, I don’t think I want to know.”

He pivoted on his heels to head back into the hotel. Just as the sliding glass doors opened, he heard Wonho shifting behind him.

“When you’re gone, Jin Hyung, I want to see just who is going to be able to stop us…”

Seokjin paused, craning his neck slowly to look back at Wonho, whose smirk was still firmly in place.

“…when we decide to completely take over.”

He narrowed his eyes at Wonho as the younger man stuffed one hand into the pocket of his leather jacket.

“It’s not smart to aim for the sun, Wonho-yah.” Seokjin smirked, scoffing soon after. “Icarus died when he tried.”

Then he went inside the hotel lobby and made his way toward the elevator. A soft buzzing reverberated in his pocket and he pulled out his phone to see a text from Namjoon.

**Namjoon: ** ** _Hyung, it’s almost time._ **

Seokjin’s eyes narrowed.

_ We’re almost there, my brothers. I promise it’ll all be over soon. _


	20. Mikrokosmos

"Each person has their own history.  
Each person has their own star."

_“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”_

A chorus of “A-men” resounded throughout the sanctuary and Jimin joined in with his fellow parishioners. His head was bowed low and he clasped his hands together in prayer, hoping that he could commend his spirit unto the Father whom he so desperately believed in. He wished to leave his burdens on the altar and rest his mind as easily as he would dare.

But even in that act, Jimin was a sinner.

Every Sunday he tried to leave his pain and worries and everything that afflicted him at the altar of the Lord – at God’s table. But he selfishly took something back with him every time. He did not fully relinquish his burdens upon God because he also knew that the Father would never put on him more than he could bear. He believed that his anxieties were seemingly petty. They were the young and foolish woes of a man who barely knew what it meant to live his life.

And yet, despite his hypocrisy, Jimin continued to return to the House of the Lord. He continued to pray diligently; not for himself, but for his brothers. For the people he cared about and for the people they, in turn, cared for. It was a never-ending cycle, a seemingly bottomless pit. Or was it more appropriate to say that the connections that people had with each other could literally number the stars?

Would it be that way for generations to come? He wished for it; for the pain and suffering to end. For a true and lasting peace to be obtained.

He truly wasn’t meant to remain in a world of darkness.

Halfway through the reverend’s sermon, the doors to the sanctuary opened. A few parishioners turned their heads and bowed politely, their smiles warm and inviting. Jimin continued to focus on his prayer, Bible turned to Romans in his lap. However, a shadow was cast over the pages and he couldn’t help but to lift his head and see who was now standing beside him.

Jimin’s mouth fell open slightly and he blinked when he realized it was Eden.

Her hair was pulled back, a low braid draping over her shoulder. She wore a dark green dress with long sleeves and the skirt just barely touched her knees. Simple, black pumps adorned her feet and she was holding a black and gold clutch in her hands. A frown touched her lips before she sat down gently beside him, reaching toward the back of the pew for a Bible.

“What book are we in?” she whispered while opening the book.

“Wha—oh, we’re in Romans. Romans, Chapter twelve.”

Nodding, she turned to the book of Romans and followed along with the reverend as he continued to preach his sermon. No other words were spoken between them and they both sat together in companionable silence. They sang together, prayed together, and even participated in Holy Communion together. It was when Jimin finished off the wine that he realized why Eden decided to show up.

It was First Sunday. No matter how busy or how upset she was with the world, Eden always made time to come to Holy Communion.

After the morning service was finished, fellow parishioners invited everyone to enjoy a meal together. Jimin often declined since he had other obligations during the day. This morning would be no different.

Both he and Eden politely bowed to the others before exiting the church.

Her heels clicked along the stone walkway leading to the steps that fanned out toward the parking lot. Jimin’s longer legs kept pace with her the entire way. However, instead of returning to her vehicle or even out onto the main street where she would have taken the bus, Eden turned and walked along the path leading toward the church’s expansive back garden. Jimin followed since she didn’t seem to protest his company.

When she reached a stone bench, Eden sat down and fished around in her clutch. Jimin couldn’t help the smirk that touched his lips as she pulled out a cigarette. Shaking his head, he sighed and took a seat next to her.

“Really?” He couldn’t help but laugh. “We just finished with service.”

Eden pointed two fingers at him, the cigarette perched between them. “Don’t start, Jimin-ah,” she said while pulling out a lighter. “The Lord will be happy that I showed up for service at all.”

He wasn’t going to argue with her on that. After everything that happened, he was almost _ positive _ that Eden wasn’t going to show up to church ever again. Jimin understood why she was upset, and he didn’t blame her for doubting him or even Jungkook. But it would have been a lie to himself if her mistrust didn’t hurt him. It did. They’d known each other for the better part of three years now. Despite being a devout Christian, the path he walked often forced him to go against the teachings of the Lord.

Jimin felt so dirty when he entered sacred ground.

Like Jungkook, Jimin did not hide his affiliation with the criminal underworld from Eden. She accepted it and didn’t even look down on him for his status. She even once told him that the fact that he went to church meant that he felt some semblance of guilt for what he was doing. He always prayed in earnest and Eden knew that he was genuinely kind and decent human being. At least that was how _ she _saw him. At the end of the day, however, it was how he was seen in the eyes of God that mattered the most.

Being reminded of that by her lifted his spirits even just a little.

He waited until she exhaled smoke from her nostrils to speak. “Eden Noona,” Jimin prodded softly, “about Yoongi Hyung…”

“If you’re about to give me some kind of excuse for what he did, then don’t bother.” She tapped a bit of ash from the end of her cigarette. “I’m not in the mood.”

Jimin sighed. _“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”_

She crossed one leg over the other, cradling her arm as she held her cigarette away from her face. Eden’s eyes cut sideways to look at him and he could see a mixture of anger and hurt swirling in her eyes. _“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.”_ She took a long drag from her cigarette, flicking off an ash as smoke exhaled from between her lips. “Thus saith the Lord.”

“You can’t hold onto that forever, Noona. Him aside, it’s not good for _you_.”

He watched her crush out the cherry on the ground by her shoe before tossing it into a nearby waste basket. She saw her smirk, but it was a mirthless gesture. “I bet you don’t even know how long he and I were together, do you?” Eden turned to look at him. “Or how we even met?”

Jimin shook his head, his brows furrowing. “But I can listen, if you’d like.”

She scoffed, a hand reaching up to finger at her braid. “We met in the States six years ago. I guess you could say we were friends. But considering that everything I’ve known about him has been a lie, now I’m not so sure.” Sighing, she let her hand fall to her lap. “I came here a year after that. We started dating _ then_. And we continued to date for three more years.”

Jimin’s heart thumped heavily against his chest. _Five years ago?_

It was an absolute madhouse in their world and yet Yoongi continued to make time for a woman he cared for? There was a part of Jimin that could hardly believe what he was hearing. The Yoongi Hyung he knew was deemed as _The Lightning Claw_ for a reason. He was swift and deadly, striking without provocation and leaving devastation in his wake. The world they entered nearly ten years ago was at its peak of violence and chaos back then. Blood splattered across the streets and sometimes the aftermath was so terrible that not even the police would step in.

“For three years, I believed he was keeping me away from his friends and family because he didn’t want them to know he was dating some half Korean orphan girl. He would leave for days, supposedly on a business trip, and then come back like nothing happened.”

But now that he thought about it, there were days that Yoongi would just take off. He would disappear and come back a few days later. Even after he started making more international moves, he would never be gone for more than a week or so at a time. And when he came home, he would do his standard debriefing before heading out again. They all assumed he was with someone, but he never spoke up about it. Jimin even remembered Yoongi almost coming to blows with Taehyung when he wouldn’t ease off with his incessant teasing, prodding Yoongi to introduce her to them.

“I never knew where he lived but he always came to my house. We hardly went out in Gangnam and when we did, it was always late. We mostly would just take trips together out of town. It just didn’t make sense to me.”

When the fighting was especially bad, Yoongi waited until all his injuries were completely healed before disappearing again. While Jimin couldn’t imagine what persona his brother was attempting to portray, he knew that he never wanted Eden to worry over him because of how bloody and disgusting their world actually was. Wanting to push her as far away from that madness as possible certainly wasn’t unreasonable.

But he knew that Eden wouldn’t see it that way. She’d been damaged by his dishonesty which, as a result, caused her current trust issues. Now, after finding out the truth, he honestly couldn’t be upset with how standoffish she was being. Who wouldn’t be?

“All this time, I thought he was just bored or was too busy to be with me. But the truth?” Eden scoffed, then laughed. “He was _ashamed_.”

“Eden Noona,” offered Jimin, causing her to look away from him, “I’m sure it wasn’t like that. In fact, I know it wasn’t. We all bothered him constantly about who he was always running off to go see, but Hyung never wanted to give up any details and we respected his privacy enough not to get involved.” He lifted his hand to touch Eden’s shoulder. “You don’t understand what life was like back then. Turf wars were happening all over Seoul and we were just fighting to keep a leg up in the game. I’m sure he just didn’t want you to get mixed up in all of that or even get hurt.”

He saw her roll her eyes. “The path to hell is paved with good intentions.” She rounded on him. “That wasn’t his choice to make, Jimin-ah!” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you even realize how much _ danger _ he put me in by keeping me in the dark? What if a rival gang decided to kidnap me? What if they tried to _use me_ to take advantage of you guys?”

Jimin averted his gaze, realizing that she wasn’t wrong either. He knew that going into a situation blindly was just as dangerous as knowingly walking into enemy territory. Had that very scenario occurred, there was a good chance that it would have ended badly. The times were not so forgiving in those days. Even Jimin transformed into a monster, seeing red and spilling blood as easily as a child spilled milk.

“I understand why you’re angry, Noona, I do,” he said, his hand sliding off her shoulder, “but there’s no way for us to determine if what he did was the best choice or the worst choice.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Can’t you just forgive him this once? Not for his sake, but for yours?”

He didn’t move his eyes from hers, hoping that his sincerity would come across as best as he could. It was no secret how Jungkook felt about Eden and while he wasn’t sure if Yoongi still felt the same, he wanted there to be peace between them all. They were so close to finally walking away from the darker parts of their past. They were _finally_ going to be able to step out into the light again; to feel the sun on their cheeks and the rain on their skin. They could stop hiding and go back to being the people they used to be before willfully walking onto the road of darkness.

“I don’t want to see this eating away at you anymore.”

Eden sighed and stood from the stone bench. Jimin immediately followed, watching her flatten out the skirts of her dress in the front. A soft breeze pushed against them, blowing his hair in different directions. A pained expression crossed her face before she took a breath and looked back at him. Her eyes seemed less angry, yet they appeared more hurt than they had been just a few minutes earlier.

“…I need time, Jimin-ah,” she finally said, causing a small ache to form in his chest. It was the softest he’d ever heard her speak in all the years he’d known her. “I just need some time to finally let it all go.”

Then she smiled at him, her hand reaching out to ruffle his hair a little bit. He gave a weak smile in response before watching her turn to head down the rest of the path and out of the garden. Jimin stood alone, waiting until he could no longer hear the clicking of her heels going down the sidewalk. When he turned his phone back on, there were a couple of missed calls, four text messages and one voicemail.

It was from Hoseok.

_“Jimin-ah. I know you’re in service, so you don’t have to call me back. Come home as soon as you’ve finished. I’ll give you all the details when everyone is back.”_

Sliding his phone into his pocket, he saw the small cluster of dark clouds beginning to form through the canopy of trees. A storm was coming.

“So,” Jimin said, his voice quiet, “it’s finally happening.”


	21. Silver Spoon

_ _

"They say it shouldn’t matter since  
we’re coming from the same place."

_ Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
_ _ South Korea _

Jungkook cradled his glass of whiskey in his hands, his rings clinking against the crystal surface. There was a heavy atmosphere permeating throughout the house; thick and suffocating. So thick it could have been sliced open with a knife. Outside the occasional shuffling of house shoes on the polished floor, there was no other sound. Everyone either sat around nursing a drink or were moving around because they couldn’t keep still.

No one spoke.

Every so often, Jungkook’s eyes met Yoongi’s and, for a moment, all they could do was stare at each other. But it was always Yoongi who averted his gaze first, his body moving to occupy a different space in the main living area. Jungkook’s eyes followed him, watching and waiting for him to speak up about any part of what happened the other night. Nothing was said, however, because Hoseok’s aura practically bled out over the entire room – silencing any discussion before he could speak first.

No one had to say a thing. It was clear that something big was about to happen. Jungkook looked at his phone, waiting for the screen to light up but it never did. He hadn’t heard from Eden in a few days and there was a part of him that wondered if she’d already written him off as someone insignificant. His brows furrowed and he had to resist the urge to reach for his phone to message her.

_ Is she still angry?_ he thought, his fingers curling tighter around the glass. 

The _beep_ of the electronic lock at the front door alerted everyone. Those who weren’t already standing stood from their seats as Jimin entered the foyer. They waited for him to get into his house shoes while shaking off the cold from outside. He paused as he entered the main room, looking around at everyone peering back at him.

“Am I the last one?” he asked, looking to Namjoon.

“You are,” Namjoon replied easily while shaking his head, “but we all know why, so don’t worry about that.”

Taehyung approached Jimin, offering him a drink with his good arm. Jimin declined, making his way toward one of the couches just as Hoseok exited his office. No one made a move until he was seated, all of them falling into their seats soon after.

“Seokjin Hyung,” Hoseok began, looking straight at him as he spoke, “status report.”

Everyone watched Seokjin set a briefcase on the table, opening it and then handing out several manila envelopes to Hoseok. He quickly pulled out the paperwork inside, scanning it quickly before slipping them back inside. Namjoon turned the briefcase toward him so he could set them back inside.

“Good. Have the funds been transferred after our shares were sold?”

Seokjin nodded, closing the briefcase and setting it back down onto the floor. “They were transferred yesterday morning. I made sure that the members of the board would be self-sufficient since we pulled out from the company completely.”

Hoseok shifted his gaze to Yoongi. “And you, Hyung?”

“We reached a deal with our key broker in Chicago. I liquidated all of our assets in New York, LA and San Antonio.” Yoongi set his drink down on the table, reaching over Taehyung to hand him the tablet he always carried with him. “The funds were transferred this morning. Hard copies of the contracts were placed in our safety deposit box.”

Hoseok nodded, thumbing through the tablet before he handed it back to Yoongi. Jungkook met Yoongi’s gaze once more, but only for a split second as Hoseok spoke up again.

“Taehyung-ah,” he said, and everyone’s eyes shifted to look at Taehyung, “how are you holding up?”

Taehyung scratched the side of his nose and flashed his trademark boxy smile, shrugging off his injuries as if they were minor itches. He was on the mend, but his arm was still in a sling and he had to wear the brace around his chest for another week.

“Were you able to get your assignments finished?”

He nodded, handing Hoseok a thick manila envelope. “The clubs we owned in Incheon and Seoul were turning a big profit, so it wasn’t hard for us to make the sale. I even upped the price for the clubs in Seoul to get a little extra cash. The money was wired last night.”

Hoseok nodded, setting the envelope on the table. He clasped his fingers together as he turned to look at Jimin and Namjoon. “And you two?”

Jimin reached into his pocket and handed his phone to Hoseok. “In exchange for selling our spots in the casino, we’ll receive forty percent of all sales made for the next year. After that, it will be twenty-five percent for the next five years and then the contract will be fulfilled.”

Finally, Hoseok turned to Jungkook and he shifted involuntarily. “What about you, Jungkook-ah?”

Jungkook sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair as he set his glass on the table. “Construction is set to be completed in two months. We’ll be ready to unveil the new building in the coming new year.”

“And the boys? You reminded them to get their affairs in order, yes?”

“Yes, I did,” he said, his voice shaking a measure, “a few weren’t too happy about it, Hyung.”

Hoseok frowned. “They were told from the beginning about this happening eventually.”

“But Hyung, can’t we wait a little while longer?” He rested a hand on his knee. “For some of them, this is all they’ve ever known.”

“They’ve had five years to prepare. Some longer than that. They’ll be compensated.” Hoseok’s tone was cold and matter of fact. It was clear that he wasn’t in the mood to hear any talk going against their original plan. “That’s why we went to all this trouble to gather up so much money.”

“Hyung—”

“I’m done waiting, Jungkook-ah!” He cut him off and Jungkook leaned back slightly. No one moved and no one spoke.

“H-Hyung,” Jimin offered, reaching his hand out to grasp Hoseok’s wrist only to watch him wrench it away from him.

“No. We don’t have the time to waste anymore. We have to move, and we have to move quickly.”

“Is it because of the Jade Fangs?” Taehyung’s question tore over the building hostility, bringing everyone down to a certain level of calm.

Hoseok took a breath, sinking deeper into the cushions of the chair. Jungkook never saw Hoseok like this. He was usually the calmest out of all of them; the one who had his shit together ninety-nine percent of the time. The one who was trying to keep everyone in line when fights were on the brink of breaking out. For him to react in that manner meant that something was _really_ wrong and the desperation in his eyes was hard to miss.

“Is that the reason, Hyung?” Jungkook asked, feeling the vein near his throat pulse.

Slowly, he rose to his feet and Jungkook stood with him. Everyone else remained seated.

“Hyung!”

“They’re making their move, Jungkook-ah,” said Namjoon as he stood up, placing a hand on Jungkook’s chest to stop him just as he took a step forward, “and they’re not fooling around about it either.”

A sharp burst of anger split across Jungkook’s chest as he glared at Namjoon, then to Hoseok. “So, we’re just going to run away? We’re going to expose our backs just when they’re ready to attack?”

Hoseok didn’t answer. Instead, he watched his older brother, their leader, folding his arms across his chest.

“That’s such bullshit, Hyung!” he shouted, throwing Namjoon’s hand off his chest. “We don’t have anything to fear from those toothless tigers! They’re all talk! Every last one of them!”

Seokjin rose to his feet, his brows knitting together with concern. “Jungkook-ah, settle down.”

He cut his eyes toward the oldest of them, teeth bared, and his fury clearly expressed. “Jin Hyung!”

“It’s true. They’ve gotten bold because they’re sure of themselves.” Seokjin pursed his lips together as he looked away, visibly turning things over in his mind. “We’ve tried to keep our activities under wraps for as long as possible, but this close to the end, they know there’s going to be a hole in Seoul’s defenses soon.” He met Jungkook’s gaze. “Gangnam and Yongsan are going to be a warzone.”

“Then let’s wipe them out,” Taehyung interjected, rubbing at the back of his neck, “then there won’t be anything to worry about.”

Jimin smacked his shoulder, causing Taehyung to hiss as he rubbed at it gingerly. “Would you shut-up? Just fucking _look_ at you! Do you think you’re in any condition to be shit talking?”

Taehyung scoffed. “I wound up like this because of _who_, hm?” Jimin frowned and a smug look passed over Taehyung’s face. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“You wound up like that,” seethed Yoongi, “because you don’t know how to mind your own goddamn business.”

Taehyung’s eyes narrowed at Yoongi. “We wouldn’t even _have_ this problem had we stomped those bastards out five years ago.”

Hoseok turned slowly, rounding on Taehyung. “That’s something a blithering idiot would say.”

“He’s not wrong, Hyung,” snapped Jungkook, causing the others to look at him, “we had the perfect opportunity to destroy them, but we held back. _You_ held us back!”

Namjoon grabbed Jungkook by the front of his shirt, but Hoseok knocked him out of the way. As Namjoon stumbled a few steps to the side, Jungkook saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw Hoseok move and he held his hand up to catch the older man’s fist. So focused on his angry expression, something that normally didn’t rear its face in their home, Jungkook failed to see the second attack until it connected. Pain exploded around his solar plexus and the breath was knocked clean out of him. His vision blurred in and out of focus and the world fell on a tilt as gravity won out, his legs collapsing under him. Tears brimmed his eyes and he coughed hard, the urge to vomit at the forefront of his mind.

“Have you forgotten what kind of hell we were living in back then, Jungkook-ah?” Hoseok’s voice boomed, echoing inside his ear canals and his hand fell to the floor to steady himself. “Did you forget how many Jackals _died_ to keep us alive? Because they believed in what we were trying to do for ourselves, for our _families_.”

Jungkook coughed again, the pain in his stomach mixing with the fire that churned inside of him. He half-growled, half-snarled as he lifted his head to glare into Hoseok’s icy stare. “No,” he groaned, “you did it for _your families_, Hyung.”

“Jungkook-ah,” said Yoongi, crouching down beside him. He reached around him to try and help him up but Jungkook shoved him off, causing the older man to blink down at him in surprise. “Jeon Jungkook!”

“You think money is some kinda substitute? You think that’s gonna make up for everything?” No matter how hard he tried, the tears leaked out from Jungkook’s eyes. “Toss an envelope at them and send them on their way? You’re abandoning them! We’re all they have and you’re just gonna throw them away like garbage!”

For a moment, he saw Hoseok’s icy expression melt and it seemed like he was coming back to himself. He looked at Jungkook for what he felt like was the first time all night. But there was nothing that could be said to calm the anger burning through Jungkook. Yet he watched Hoseok try; watched his boss, their brother, start to lean forward toward him.

“J-Jungkook-ah,” Hoseok stammered, but Jungkook was already on his feet.

He wiped angrily at his face, bumping shoulders with the others. They called for him, but he was past the point of listening to them anymore. Jungkook snatched his coat off the wall and slipped into his boots. Throwing the door open with a loud _bang_, he all but ran down the stone walkway that led to the main entrance gate to their house. His brothers were yelling for him, and he even heard a few trying to give chase. But Jungkook knew he was faster.

He’d always been the fastest.

His feet ate up the concrete as he ran toward the parking garage, hopping onto his motorcycle and revving the engine to life. Jungkook reached behind him and slammed the helmet on top of his head, the back-tire squealing, no – _screaming_ with the rage that he wished he could have unleashed in the house. The headlight flared and he peeled out of the garage – the world speeding past him in a blur of motion and he didn’t look back.

* * *

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _ South Korea _

Jungkook parked his bike and ran. He didn’t care that he’d left his bike in some random parking lot. He just ran. He ran until his legs burned, until his lungs screamed in agony, and then he continued to run. He turned down one street, sweat soaking his shirt and slipping down his cheeks. The cold air stung at his pores, filled his mouth and shredded the inside of his esophagus.

Down another set of streets, he ran through crowds of pedestrians that were crossing the streets, and he jumped over benches and the dogs that people were walking. His legs pumped into the ground and the world grew dark around him. Streetlights illuminated the sidewalk and the headlight beams from cars almost blinded him. There were even a few close calls as he was almost hit by oncoming vehicles; their expletives matched with his own that he threw back at them.

He headed toward the residential area, past a children’s playground, and then for two more blocks he continued. Jungkook’s body protested, begged him to stop, but he pushed on and ignored the signs of misery that pulsed all over him.

Reaching a building, he blindly ran up the stairs and he stumbled forward, his elbows crashing into the stone, but he forced himself to crawl back up onto his feet. He jumped the last few steps until he was on the rooftop – _her_ rooftop.

Jungkook staggered toward the door, almost losing his balance in the process. He dragged his feet forward, his body all but slamming into the door. Lifting one arm, he knocked on the door’s window until he lacked the energy to continue. Resting both his palm and cheek on the window, he could see his breath fogging up the glass.

“Noona,” he said softly, his voice barely audible from all the running he’d done, “open up. Are you there?” He turned his head so he could rest his forehead on the glass. “…please be there.”

After a few minutes, he slumped to his knees. His hands were pressed to the door, the will to continue pounding on it lacking within him. The only sound he heard, aside from his own ragged breathing, was the wind whistling harshly from that high up. At some point, the pounding of his heart drowned even that out until the darkness began to creep around his eyes.

“…Jungkook-ah, is that you?”

The voice perked him up, causing him to crane his neck so he could look over his shoulder. Standing there, holding several bags, was Eden. Her beanie was half on her head and the thick scarf she wore was wrapped several times around her neck. There was a grease stain across her cheek, stretching all the way to the bridge of her nose. Her breath came out in soft clouds as she scrutinized him.

Jungkook shakily got to his feet, his legs crying out from the abuse he’d forced them to withstand and took wobbly steps toward her. She remained standing where she was, not saying a word. He must have been a sight for her not to yell at him. He hadn’t seen her in days; hadn’t heard her voice in what felt like _years_ to him.

Dirty, wrapped in a heavy coat, and annoyed. Just like when he’d first met her.

_She’s so goddamn pretty…_

Jungkook gave a weak smile. Then the world spun. He heard Eden gasp, the loud rattle of bags hitting the ground a muffled sound in his ears. He fully expected to hit the ground, but gravity was not granted its quarry for the second time that night. Small, but strong, arms held him upright – cradling him so that his weight wasn’t overwhelming her.

“What the hell, Jungkook-ah?!” Her voice held a mixture of aggravation and concern. Her hand slid over his forehead and he heard her hiss. “Jesus, you’re burning up!”

As she forced him to stand more by himself, Jungkook rocked back with all his weight – nearly falling backwards. She yelled and he felt her hands gripping onto his wrists. His legs were going to give out on him any second. Twisting his wrists, he tried to get her to let go but she held tighter.

And as the world zipped by him, Jungkook brought her down on top of him. For the _second time_ that night, the wind was knocked from his lungs – both from impact and from Eden’s weight crashing onto him.

“Goddammit, Jungkook!” she bellowed, punching him in the chest, “What the hell is your problem, huh?!”

Jungkook let out a laugh that was soon followed by a small coughing fit. He closed his eyes and felt the tears slipping from the corners and into his ears. He heard Eden’s grunts stop and she fell completely silent. Still laughing, albeit weakly, he managed to open his eyes to look at her through his tears. Her brows were knit with worry.

“Hey, Jeon Jungkook,” she said, her cold hands touching his cheeks and then his forehead, “snap out of it, will you?”

He looked past her for a moment to gaze at the night sky. They were in the city and it was hard to see the stars. Especially from this high up. The city always drowned out the stars. For the first time in years, he missed the numerous stars that littered the vast expanse of the sky he once could see in the countryside.

For the first time in years, he missed his hometown…

“Are you listening to me?”

Eden’s voice cut through his nostalgia and Jungkook turned to focus his attention on the woman who continued to occupy his thoughts these last few months. Was it almost a year now? Was the year almost over?

She pursed her lips together – a deep expression of concern etching her features. Funny. He didn’t think he had ever seen her look like that.

He reached up to cup her cheek with one of his hands and she shrank back slightly, but not moving completely away from his touch. The pain he felt earlier seemed to fade with that realization.

“…goddamn, you’re beautiful.”

“W-What?” she stammered, blinking rapidly at him.

But he was done talking. And with what strength he had left, he slid his hand from her face to rest at the nape of her neck before pulling her down so his lips could meet hers. He felt her grip onto the front of his shirt, as though she were going to tear herself away. The muscles in his bicep grew taut, holding her in place until he felt her relax under his hold.

He kissed her slowly; carefully. Jungkook didn’t want to cross the line further than he already had. When her fingers loosened from his shirt, he took a chance and lifted his head to get a better taste of her. There was a moment when she stiffened, hesitated, before relaxing into the affection he was attempting to give her. 

More tears began to fall.

Her lips were soft, warm, and inviting.

They felt like home.


	22. Jamais Vu

"I just wanted to be good.  
I just wanted to make you smile...damn."

**_Five Years Ago  
_** _Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _South Korea_

_The heavy downpour roared in Hoseok’s ears as he struggled to see, his eyes blinking rapidly. It was dark and only the single light pouring over an abandoned warehouse’s parking lot illuminated everything around them. Shouts and grunts sounded off in a loud chorus as glass shattered and wood splintered. Chains rattled and Hoseok spun just out of reach from the metal. The ground was thick and muddy; his shoes sloshed into the ground as he crashed to one knee. He spat blood, wiping at his mouth with the back of his forearm._

_The opposing gang member raised his arms high, the chains clattering at his back just as he swung down. Hoseok crossed his arms over his head and cried out in pain when the metal smacked into his back. Twisting his wrist, he grabbed the chain and pulled down hard. His enemy stumbled forward, slipping in the wet mud, and Hoseok took advantage as he stood up to smash his knee into the other man’s gut. Just as he was about to double over in pain, Hoseok grabbed for the back of his hair, pulling his face toward the sky before dropping his elbow right onto his forehead._

_The man’s legs collapsed under him and he fell to the ground. He heard a body slamming against sheet metal, and he whipped his head around to see who it was. Just to his right, he saw Yoongi’s body fall – spraying muddy water in every direction._

_“Yoongi Hyung!”_

_Yoongi spun out of the way just as a metal bat smashed into the spot he’d just occupied. Hoseok tore across the lot, his legs springing up to lift him into the air as he felt his heel bury itself into the man’s spine. There was a sickening crack as the man tilted to his left, gravity continuing to take care of the rest. Hoseok reached out to grab Yoongi’s arm and pulled him back up onto his feet. Within seconds, Yoongi spun Hoseok around and he coughed when his back slammed into the wall._

_His vision blurred for half a second, refocusing in time to see a plank of wood break across Yoongi’s shoulder._

_“HYUNG!”_

_He watched Yoongi stumble forward, using the weight of his own body to spin around and he lunged forward to tackle the person who’d attacked him. Hoseok took a step forward, wiping at his eyes so he could see where everyone else was. They were all fighting and holding their own and he swallowed a mouthful of air to regain his senses. His gaze shifted to where a single person was standing and holding an umbrella, the rain falling around him as the rest of his upper tiers stood and waited for the perfect opportunity to attack._

_His eyes narrowed. “Changkyun-ah,” he muttered and, as though he’d actually heard him, Changkyun smirked from under the shelter of his umbrella._

_Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his switchblade and flicked it out. The blade gleamed under the fluorescent lighting. Hoseok roared, the sound covering up the noise of the rain for a split second, before he charged. Several others jumped in his way, but all he saw was Im Changkyun standing there. Hoseok’s body crashed into someone, his arms reaching out to grasp their arm and he slid the blade over their bicep before bringing it up and under their armpit. He sliced away from him, blood spraying from the wound and he quickly dropped the person in his arms._

_Another jumped in his way and Hoseok wasted no time plunging the knife into their gut, pulling the blade out rapidly only to bury it into their thigh. He couldn’t hear their screams over the war drumming of his own heart and he brought the knife up and over their neck to bury it into their shoulder blade._

_Spinning just out of someone’s reach, he snatched their arm with his free hand and issued multiple stabs into their forearm. Blood gushed freely and he slid the blade over their flesh like a well-trained butcher. They collapsed to their knees, cradling their mangled arm, but Hoseok spun on his heel and crashed his knee into their face so they hit the mud with a sickening **squelch** sound._

_“Hoseok-ah!” he heard Namjoon calling for him, but Hoseok didn’t stop moving. He pushed forward and jammed his knife into another person’s collar bone without batting an eyelash._

_“Hoseok Hyung!”_

_This time it was Jimin, running forward and smashing his shoulder into a gang member who was trying to impede Hoseok’s path. He kept marching forward, his pace increasing with each step. He saw Jin flip someone onto their back and Taehyung picked up a discarded bat to smash it into another Jade Fang member’s chest. Jungkook kicked and punched his way through anyone who tried to stand in his way, clearing the way for Hoseok._

_And then his legs began to pump harder into the mud, his eyes zeroing in on Changkyun. His blade and hands were covered in blood – so thick that the rain couldn’t wash it away immediately. There was a madness that danced in his depths and he dropped two more Jade Fang members with a punch to the throat and a stab to the rib – the blade scraping over bone inside._

_ One by one, they all dropped like flies._

_Hoseok ran full speed, his legs curling under him as he soared into the air – his mouth opening to scream as he prepared to strike._

_“IM CHANGKYUN!”_

_He saw Changkyun’s smile fall, watching as the umbrella tumbled to the ground. But before Hoseok could land his strike, pain exploded over his ribcage and he flew onto his back into the mud. Water and rain sprayed over his lips and he coughed, the wind knocked from his lungs as his knife flew from his hand. It disappeared into a muddy puddle before he could recover it. Hoseok rolled onto his side and pushed his upper body from the ground with his forearms, glaring up at the one who’d struck him as their leg slowly went back to the ground._

_It was Sohn Shownu._

_“You…you bastard,” Hoseok coughed, blood staining the wet ground._

_A leg shot out, slamming into Shownu’s shoulder. The body stumbled forward, immediately righting itself. Jungkook locked eyes with Hoseok momentarily and he bared his teeth before spinning around. Hoseok felt arms helping him back up onto his feet just as he watched Jungkook’s head fly backward from a punch he’d received. Jungkook staggered a few steps back, a line of blood spilling from his lip._

_ And then Hoseok saw Jungkook jump into the air, his right arm pulled back for a downward punch at whoever had managed to hit him._

_Hoseok stretched his arm out, watching as two more people flanked Jungkook from the side._

_“JUNGKOOK-AH!”_

* * *

** _Present Day  
_** _Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
_ _South Korea_

_“Hey, this is Jungkook. I can’t come to my phone right now so just leave a message and **maybe** I’ll think about calling you back. Later!”_

Hoseok sighed as he lowered the phone back into his lap. He lifted his head to see that Namjoon was standing in the doorway, as if he were hesitating to come inside. He motioned for him to enter and his friend did so, slowly closing the door behind him. Hoseok tried calling Jungkook’s phone again, disheartened when it went straight to voicemail once more.

Still nothing?”

He shook his head before slumping forward to rest his elbows across his desk. Hoseok cradled his head in his hands, his eyes staring at the glass surfacing but not really seeing it.

“He’ll come back eventually,” reassured Namjoon, causing Hoseok to lift only his eyes to look up at him, “just give him time to cool off.”

“It’s been _ three days_, Namjoon-ah,” Hoseok said through clenched teeth, “I’m worried something might have actually happened to him.”

Namjoon folded his arms across his chest. “Jungkook can take care of himself.”

Hoseok knew this as well, but it didn’t help his swirling worries any. He couldn’t erase the look that Jungkook gave him that night; that look of anger and betrayal. He’d said that everyone was focused on their own families and it was like the gut punch he’d given Jungkook was delivered back to him ten-fold. Hoseok’s anger almost superseded everything that was being spoken that night – his desperation to get everything in order his topmost priority. Truth be told, it wasn’t that he didn’t care for his entourage – for those who served under him.

But like all steps toward folly, Hoseok simply assumed that everyone was well prepared for the coming changes. A new dawn would soon be reaching their horizon and he was ready to put their horrible past behind them. It was the goal they’d strived to achieve these last five years. And it was a final destination they’d set for themselves before they left Hwaseong.

“How could I have forgotten about them?” Hoseok pressed a hand to his forehead as he sat back in his chair. His face turned toward the ceiling; he covered his eyes with his forearm. “How could I have done it so _ completely, _ Namjoon-ah?”

Even though he couldn’t see it, he heard Namjoon sliding into the chair across from him. “You can’t blame yourself. To be honest, I think we all did.”

Hoseok’s arm fell from his face and hung limply at his side. He craned his neck to look at Namjoon whose brows were furrowed in a mixture of what he could only assume was concern and shame. Was there even a hint of guilt in his expression? Hoseok sighed, sitting up a little more in his chair.

“But how could we have done that?” He averted his gaze, his hand curling into a fist on his desk. “Jungkook was right. We weren’t preparing to help them transition. We were just going to give them a fuck ton of money and send them on their merry way.”

“Hoseok-ah…”

He buried his face in his hands. “…we’re no better than Jungkook’s parents.”

Jungkook’s words echoed in his mind again, causing a deep pain to rise into his chest. He’d done his best to hide it all these years, but it was clear that Jungkook still had lingering abandonment issues. It was almost like he was afraid that, at any moment, they were all going to cast him aside like he didn’t matter to them anymore. Money and power changed people; it was true.

But had they all changed so much?

Once more, Hoseok’s hands fell to his side. He looked at Namjoon and neither of them said anything for what felt like a small eternity. He reached up to touch his chest where the pendant was hidden away from view. Then he stood from his chair, Namjoon following his motions.

“…I need to see her.”

Namjoon’s lips pressed into a thin line before sighing. “Hoseok-ah, do you think that’s—”

He looked at him. “_Please_, Namjoon-ah,” pleaded Hoseok, his brows knitting together as if he were in pain, “I _ need _ to see her _ now_.”

* * *

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _South Korea_

Hoseok made Namjoon remain downstairs in the main lobby. He had to do this. He had to see her and know that she was alright. Hoseok needed to see it for himself; a reminder of why he was trying so hard to accomplish his goals in the first place. If it meant her being safe and her reclaiming her freedom, then it would have been worth it. All the separation and the pain; the anxiety… It would have been worth every single second of it.

His hand reached up to press the button by her door – the buzzer ringing to life within her dwelling. It was late. He knew she would have just gotten home. Or maybe just getting off another late shift. Hoseok remembered many nights when he showed up, busted up and bleeding on her doorstep.

The security lock beeped, and the door latch clicked as it slowly opened. Raelyn rubbed at her eyes sleepily, squinting to see just who was at her door. She blinked once, then twice; like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Hoseok-ah?” she said, her voice thick with sleep and her thick curls fanning out in various directions, “what are you doing here?”

“…I needed to see you.”

She blinked again, resting a hand on the flare of her hip. “See me? For wha—”

“I’m sorry,” he said, interrupting her.

Before she could finish or even ask what he was apologizing for, Hoseok took a step forward and crossed the threshold of her home. His arm shot out to wrap around her waist, lifting her with minimal effort and spinning inside. The door shut behind him and he pivoted on his heels, pressing Raelyn’s back against the surface.

Her eyes widened in alarm and she opened her mouth to protest. But Hoseok leaned forward, capturing her lips with his own as he pressed his chest against hers. He slipped his leg between hers, his thigh pressing against the warmth of her lower body and he slid one hand down to capture her wrist – only to raise it up so that it was pressed against the door parallel with her head.

Muffled sounds of protest came from her mouth and she tried to push him off her, but Hoseok was stronger. His _ need _was stronger, and he needed to see her; to feel her; to taste her all over again.

His tongue urged her lips open and for a moment, she seemed to relax. His arm was still holding her around the middle and he lifted her up so that her legs could wrap around his waist. He felt her other hand thread through his hair, grasping at the back of his head and gripping with unspoken desire. Raelyn moaned and that was the end of it.

Hoseok flung his arms away from her, holding her aloft with his upper body strength alone as he shrugged out of his coat. His blazer followed suit; soft whispers that touched the ground. He licked and teased her upper lip, urging her to open up to him so he could slip the muscle in to scrape along her canines and press against her own tongue.

And then he felt her gripping onto his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin beneath the fabric – a sharp pain bringing him back to awareness.

He looked up at her; pupils blown wide and he gasped as she, too, took a deep breath of air.

“W-We can’t do this, Hoseok,” she whispered, breaking his gaze to look down at the floor.

“…Raelyn,” he whispered, his voice husky with need but he tried to rein himself back in, “are you still…?”

“I can’t do this again,” Raelyn half said, half sobbed, before she buried her face into her hands, “…I’m sorry, Hoseok-ah. I just…I just can’t.”

For a long moment, all he could do was hold her against him. His heart was pounding with a heavy cadence against his chest and he sighed, gathering Raelyn into his arms. He pulled her close, cradling her head against him and he slowly pet the back of her head.

“…it’s okay, _ Choseungdal_,” he said, shushing her as she tried to stifle her sobs, “I’m sorry.”

Hoseok took a moment to pull her away from him, wiping her tears away with his hands. He cradled her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then he lifted her into his arms bridal style, carrying her to her bedroom. He pulled the blanket back and tucked her in, brushing his hand along her forehead. It didn’t seem long before she was starting to drift off to sleep, apologizing to him repeatedly as her voice grew more and more quiet as she faded away.

For a few minutes longer, Hoseok just watched Raelyn sleep. He watched her sleep peacefully and wished, more than anything, that he could join her in that restful sleep – to hold her against him as they fell blissfully into a world of dreams.

Instead, he reached behind his head and unhooked the clasp at the back of his neck, removing the silver crescent moon pendant. He held it in his hand, his thumb stroking over the grooves on the pendant, and then set it down on her nightstand.

“Goodbye, my _ Choseungdal_,” he whispered. Tears brimmed his eyes and he breathed slowly. His hand swept the small tears that threatened to form, and then he headed toward her front door.

Hoseok gathered up his blazer and coat, draping both over his arm, and exited Raelyn’s apartment. The door closed behind him, the security lock _ beep _ indicating that she was safe and sound. He sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair in frustration, and then started toward the elevator. As he entered, he pulled out his phone and called Yoongi.

“…Yoongi Hyung? I need you to find Jungkook,” he said, the elevator dinging as he reached the ground floor, “whatever it takes.”


	23. Her

"Maybe I’m your love and hate.  
Maybe I’m your enemy and friend."

_“…Yoongi Hyung? I need you to find Jungkook…whatever it takes.”_

“I will, Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi replied gently, his grip on the phone increasing for a split second before ending the call.

Slipping the phone into his pocket, he lifted his head to gaze at the tall building – his eyes focusing on the rooftop. The wind whipped across his body, his hair flying in every direction as the tails of his trench coat flapped behind him. Yoongi felt a lump forming in his throat as he tried to swallow it down, wondering if he should even be standing there. If he had any _ right _to be standing there.

It had been a week since his altercation with Eden that night, when all his skeletons came tumbling out of the closet. Yoongi could still feel the sting of her slap on his cheek and remembered the tears that slid down her face. He’d never seen Eden cry in all the years he’d known her. She’d shed a tear or two over a drama or a movie they decided to watch together, but those were tears she shed without shame. Tears of outrage; of pain? He didn’t think she was even capable of it.

He’d believed her to be so strong. Yoongi thought she could take on anything; that she could stare the Reaper in his face and tell him to take a long walk off a short pier.

_I made a mistake_, he thought, furrowing his brows as he made his way toward the steps leading up the side of the building, _I should have just been honest from the start._

Yoongi’s pace was slow, methodical; he was in no hurry. He knew it was Eden’s day off and she would be home. She was usually catching up on dramas she’d missed during the week or playing video games. She wasn’t a very social creature by nature. Not unless she was forced. Yoongi grimaced when he thought about how their dates usually went. He probably hadn’t helped things with how he kept her away from prying eyes all the time.

Had he made her even _more_ of a recluse?

When he reached the rooftop, he looked around and saw the long wooden table and a few chairs near the edge of the roof. She usually liked to read by sunlight during the summer and Yoongi couldn’t help smirking when he thought of the times they would eat watermelon while sitting on the table, staring at the stars during those hot summer nights. She hated doing laundry and he often teased her about it, saying that it was supposed to be therapeutic while she complained about it being a colossal waste of time; bitching about not having her own washing machine.

He remembered kicking cold water on her when they were stomping around in the water basin, cleaning one of her summer blankets on an early Saturday morning. She hosed him down and they were both utterly soaked, stripping down naked while he grabbed a few large towels from the line to wrap them both in. His face twisted into a painful expression when he remembered drying her off, admiring every single inch of her body until he couldn’t resist himself; claiming her in her bed and wearing her out completely.

Yoongi paused in front of the laundry line, seeing the clothes that were hanging out to dry. They would freeze in this cold. She must have gotten busy with something since the laundry basket was still outside, left abandoned under the line. Sighing, he began to pull clothes, sheets, and towels off the line. He folded them and placed them into the basket, lost in his own thoughts.

How could he have ruined it all?

_Friends? What the hell was I even thinking?_ Yoongi chastised himself, folding the last of the towels and dropping it into the basket. _It’s all just one giant fucking excuse…_

Yoongi lifted the basket into his arms with minimal effort before strolling forward to the front door. He resisted the urge to use the spare key to simply let himself in. For a moment, he just stood in front of the door and remained silent. He did nothing. He probably looked like a fool standing there and holding a basket full of clean laundry, but at that moment, Yoongi didn’t care.

He wasn’t ready for another altercation with Eden. He thought he was, but in reality, he knew he wasn’t. Yoongi didn’t think he could handle her enraged expression directed toward him. Sure, they fought and cussed and fussed at each other when they were together, but it wasn’t anything like what he saw that night. He knew she wasn’t a pushover and he’d even seen her tussle with some thugs when they were both still living in America. She had _ no _ problem stabbing someone. She had no problem spilling blood when it came to defending herself.

But she’d _ never _ turned her knife on _ him _before. Yoongi wasn’t sure if he was more shocked or riled up at the idea that she came at him with everything that she had. He had scars of his own, sure, but the ones that littered her body showed the hard road she had been forced to travel for most of her life. Yoongi admired her strength and determination to continue living even as the world turned its back on her.

Even as _he_ turned his back on her.

“Oh, goddammit,” he heard from the other side of the door, causing his thoughts to come crashing back to the present, “I forgot to get the laundry.”

Yoongi’s grip tightened on the basket and he considered just leaving it there. He could just leave it there, away from the door so she wouldn’t accidentally trip over it, and go. Running into her now would just cause a fight. He knew her well enough to bet money on it.

“I can get it later,” came another voice from inside.

Yoongi’s heart stopped for a moment and he nearly dropped the laundry basket. He felt his face grow hot and the heavy thrum of his heart roared in his ears. His eyes narrowed harshly at the frosted glass of the door.

It was Jungkook’s voice.

He heard Eden scoff from inside the apartment, her silhouette appearing before the door as he saw her moving around to grab a pair of shoes.

“What? So you can get fever sick again or break your neck because you can barely walk, then blame me for it? Fuck that. I got it.”

He knew he should leave. Yoongi still had time to leave and pretend he didn’t hear anything. Pretend he didn’t know that Jungkook was there.

Two things stopped him, keeping him rooted in his spot. Hoseok’s request, his pleading to find Jungkook, and Yoongi’s own jealous anger.

Yes, he was jealous.

Yes, it was unfair.

Yes, it was unreasonable.

He _ didn’t _care.

So when Eden pulled the door open, almost barreling into him, he could only cut his eyes at her as she gasped just seconds before impact. She stumbled back, catching her balance as she clung to the doorknob, and let out a yell that sounded like a mixture of fright and outrage. Eden clutched at her chest, catching her breath as she glared up at him.

“You scared the fuck outta me!” she yelled, scratching at the side of her wild curls that flared out like a lion’s mane. “What are you doing standing there like some kinda fuckin’ ghost!? You trynna kill me?!”

Yoongi didn’t say anything. He continued to hold the laundry basket, gripping onto it like it was a tether preventing him from falling into a black hole. The vein near his temple throbbed as he bit the inside of his jaw.

“Noona?” called Jungkook from inside and Yoongi’s gaze lifted from hers to look over her shoulder. He was still out of sight which meant that he was in the main area of the apartment. “Everything okay?”

He looked back at Eden and saw realization wipe over her face. She pushed on the basket that Yoongi was holding, shoving him back a couple of steps. He was crowding the doorway and she wanted to get out and there was a petty part of him that wanted to keep her trapped in the entryway.

“Everything’s fine, Jungkook-ah,” she said through clenched teeth, glaring at Yoongi; daring him to say otherwise, “it’s just a stupid cat.”

Yoongi’s brows raised as he looked down at her, watching the smirk forming on her face. _Cat?_

“I didn’t know you had a cat,” Jungkook said, a distinct explosion coming from the television.

“He’s not mine. He just likes to show up whenever he wants to cause me grief.” Yoongi narrowed his eyes at her and she continued to smile, though her irritation was still evident. “Isn’t that right, Lil Meow Meow?”

“Lil Me—” He started to protest but Eden slapped her hand over his mouth and all but shoved him out of the way.

“I’ll be back. Stay there and keep that ice pack on your legs.” Then she closed the door behind her before rounding on Yoongi. “What in the hell are you doing here?” Her voice was a harsh whisper and she pointed toward the large table that was far away from the door.

He set the basket down by the door and turned, making his way toward the table and plopped down on it. There was no point trying to raise a stink in front of her door. Eden’s temper was merciless and while it lasted only a little while, it left destruction around her like a tornado. He wouldn’t risk her getting into trouble with her neighbors this late at night.

He was _ choosing _ to not be selfish this time.

Eden stood in front of him, arms folded across her chest. “Well? Why are you here? I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want to see you.”

Yoongi flashed a dark smirk as he looked up at her through his fringe. “Did you? I must have missed that part.”

“_Min Yoongi_,” Eden half snarled, “don’t make me hurt you.”

He laughed despite how serious he knew she was being.

“You’ve already hurt me.”

“_Excuse_ me?”

Yoongi shook his head, pressing a hand to his forehead. “…nothing. I’m taking Jungkook home.”

She scoffed, raising a brow at him. “Says who?”

“_I do_,” he growled out, “that’s who.”

He saw Eden look away from him. “Forget it.” Her tone was solid. “He overextended his muscles and he’s still having trouble walking.”

“Then I’ll carry him.”

This time _she_ laughed, turning her head to look back at him. “Who says that he even _wants_ to go home?”

“Eden, don’t—”

“Don’t what? Butt in?” He saw her narrow her eyes at him. “Too late.”

Yoongi shot up from the table, taking a step toward her but she reflexively took a step back. He wasn’t sure if that action hurt him more or if her words were what was getting to him.

“Why do you care anyway?” he snapped.

She smirked. “What’s it to you?”

He took a breath, attempting to collect himself, before looking back at her. “Look,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “if this is about me, about getting back at me, then there’s no need for that.”

For a long moment, all Eden could do was look at him – eyes wide and unblinking. Then, a handful of seconds later, she burst into a very loud laughing fit. This caught him off guard and now _he_ was the one taking a step back. It was clear that what he’d said wasn’t funny. Not one bit. He _knew_ what kind of laugh this was.

It was an _angry_ laugh.

After a short minute, Eden managed to collect herself. “Are you fuckin’ _shitting me_ right now?” She straightened to her full height, taking a step toward him and jamming her finger into his chest. “Ya, Min Yoongi-ssi, who the hell do you think you are, huh?”

The honorific threw him. She’d _ never _used it with him for as long as he’d known her. Not in the States and definitely not here. For her to add that polite title to his name made him feel like he’d been kicked in the gut by a mule.

“Do you think I’m holding Jungkook hostage? You think I’m doing this to get back at you for hurting me? Just who in the fuck do you take me for?”

Yoongi swallowed, the lump in his throat swelling as his mouth grew dry. He’d fucked up. Royally. Eden wasn’t the petty sort of person he knew himself to be capable of. She was a straight shooter when it came to showing people whether she liked or disliked a person. She wasn’t the kind of person to play mind games or get revenge on people. He remembered her once telling him that type of thinking was a waste of time for everyone involved.

She poked him again; harder this time and he winced.

“Maybe if you guys kept your fuckin’ house in order, then I wouldn’t have people showin’ up on my fuckin’ doorstep sick and half dead from runnin’ themselves into the fuckin’ ground.”

And again, Eden dug her finger into his chest.

“You _all_ are gettin’ on my goddamn nerves, you know that? But I’m not gonna toss him out on his ass when he doesn’t want to leave. Not in his current condition.”

This time, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and shook him – looking more terrifying than the night she tried to stab him.

“Got it?”

Suddenly, the door to her apartment swung open. Both Yoongi and Eden turned to see Jungkook bracing himself on the frame. He had a pained look on his face, as if it was a struggle for him to maintain his balance. Jungkook tried to wipe the pain away with a smile, but it looked more like a half grimace and he steadied himself while stepping out of the apartment. Yoongi watched his legs wobble, like he was a baby deer taking its first steps in life.

“Ya, Jeon Jungkook,” Eden called to him, releasing the hold she had on Yoongi’s shirt, “what do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s okay,” he said, sweat clinging to his brow as he took another step forward, “I’ll go back with Hyung.”

When he took another step, Jungkook lost his footing and started to fall forward. Eden left Yoongi’s side, rushing at Jungkook to catch him. All Yoongi could do was stare as she held him aloft, trying to keep as much of his weight up with her smaller frame. He felt his hands clutching into fists at his sides, the look of genuine concern spreading over Eden’s face.

What happened in that short amount of time? What was different between them now?

“Yoongi Hyung.”

Jungkook’s voice cut through Yoongi’s thoughts and he felt his hands loosen as he looked at him.

“You don’t have to carry me, but I’ll need your help getting down the stairs.”

Yoongi nodded, stepping toward them. He saw Eden’s hands tighten around Jungkook’s arm and he stopped.

“Jungkook-ah,” she said softly, her eyes not leaving Jungkook’s as he, in turn, looked back at her, “are you sure you’ll be alright?”

He smiled at her. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Besides…” Jungkook looked back at Yoongi. “…there’s something I need to talk to Hyung about.”

Eden sighed, lifting herself up so that Jungkook could stand on his own. “Fine. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t.”

“Do you have everything?”

“Yeah, I grabbed my keys too.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Text me so I know you made it back safely.”

“I will,” Jungkook said with a laugh, “I promise.”

Yoongi could only silently watch the exchange and he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. Was it two friends? Something more? Eden was known to show care and compassion for even her friends, so it wasn’t far-fetched for her to act this way with Jungkook if they were, in fact, friends.

_…but is it more than that?_

“Hyung?” He met Jungkook’s gaze, the smile gone from his face. “I’m ready.”

Yoongi crossed the small space between them, draping Jungkook’s arm over his shoulder and held him steady against him at the waist. They took slow steps towards the stairs and he fully expected Eden to retreat inside of her apartment. But as Yoongi helped Jungkook take the first step down, he chanced a glance at her and saw she was watching them intently.

“…Yoongi-ah,” she said, forcing Yoongi to come to a halt, “let me know when you get back, too.”

He didn’t say anything. He just nodded and then continued to help Jungkook ease down the steps. He wasn’t sure if it was his heart or Jungkook’s heart drumming against him, but nothing was said between them. Even when they hit the final step and Yoongi called a cab to pick them up, he continued to hold Jungkook up with his own body.

It wasn’t until the cab arrived and Yoongi made sure Jungkook was safely inside did his muscles finally relax. He told the driver their destination and the two men sat beside each other – each gazing out of their respective passenger windows. Neither of them said a word.

When it looked like they were stuck in a miniature traffic jam did Jungkook finally speak up.

“It really _was_ Noona you were with for all those years, wasn’t it, Hyung?”

Yoongi craned his neck to look at Jungkook who was still staring out the window. He didn’t know if he could give an answer, or if he even should. What reason would he need to since it was clear that Jungkook already seemed to know the answer.

He sighed, instead looking back out the window.

“Why’d you do that? Why would you…_how_ could you just lie to her?”

Yoongi closed his eyes.

“Of all the things, why lie to her about who you really are?”

He wasn’t sure if now was the time to get into this conversation. Or if he even _wanted_ to.

“Hyung!”

Yoongi rounded on Jungkook who was now looking at him – no, glaring at him.

“What do you want from me, Jungkook-ah? Huh? What?!”

“I want to know why you would tell me to be honest with the person I care about when you couldn’t even do the same! Why would you do that?”

“Because I didn’t want her to get mixed up in our business, Jungkook-ah,” he snapped, “she’s been through enough and piling our shit on top of it all, especially back then, would have been too much!”

Jungkook gave him a dark look. “You don’t know that!”

“You’re right! I don’t. I _didn’t_ know but I did what I thought was the best thing for everyone involved. Did I fuck up? Yes.” He reached out and snatched Jungkook by the collar of his shirt. “But let’s get one thing straight: I don’t take it back, you hear me?”

“Hyung!”

“If I could go back to that time, I’d make the same choice all over again. _Easy._ I’d keep her as far away from this shit as I could.” Yoongi’s expression hardened as Jungkook’s eyes narrowed even further. “My only regret is that I got caught in the first place.”

He saw something flicker in Jungkook’s eyes. It wasn’t anger – no, that was still sitting at the surface of his younger brother’s gaze. Was it…pity?

He felt Jungkook’s hands touch Yoongi’s, gently pulling them down – forcing him to release his hold on his shirt. Then he turned away from him to look back out the window.

“…you’re a moron, Hyung.”

Yoongi smirked, watching the multi-colored lights flash over Jungkook’s face. He craned his neck to look out his own window.

“I guess I am.”

And he was.

Min Yoongi was the worst kind of pretender.


	24. Best of Me

"So take my hand right now.  
I can’t believe myself."

“Whoa, hold up,” Anastasia said, placing her hands into a “T” symbol, “timeout. You’re telling me that Jungkook, _my ex_, was staying with you for the last few days?” She stared into Eden’s face, watching her friend shamelessly down the shot of bourbon. The other woman brushed her hand through her blonde hair, readjusting her glasses. “Wow, small world.”

Eden slammed the shot glass onto the table. “_Too_ fuckin’ small,” she snapped, pouring herself another glass.

Anastasia hummed, milling around the kitchen. She washed a few dishes, getting them ready for the dinner she was preparing, and her mind wandered back to the time when Seokjin had kindly done the same for her. Her face screwed up into a pout as she felt her face grow warm, flicking the water from her hands and then rubbing them on the front of her apron. Pivoting on her heels, she looked back at her friend and sighed when she saw her pouring yet _ another _ shot of bourbon.

“You’re not gonna have room for dinner,” she chastised, to which the mixed girl snorted while giving her a sidelong glance.

“I’ll make room, don’t worry,” Eden replied while waving her hand back and forth in a dismissive motion.

The buzzer rang out in the apartment and Anastasia quickly made her way to the door. She checked the camera and smiled, opening it wide to reveal Raelyn on the other side. The other woman smiled, looking a little tired but still happy to be there. She hugged her taller friend and ushered her inside, already taking her coat and purse from her so she could slip into a pair of house shoes.

Raelyn took a deep breath, giving a satisfied hum. “Mm, girl, it smells good in here, Ana.”

Anastasia laughed, motioning for Raelyn to join Eden at the kitchen bar counter. “I just hope it tastes as good.”

“Yes,” Eden piped up, already reaching for a glass to pour Raelyn a drink, “we shall see, won’t we?”

The two women clinked their glasses together and Anastasia pouted, soon dissolving into a small fit of laughter with her friends. Anastasia poured herself a glass of bourbon as well and they made small “cheers” as they did their best to do as much catching up as they possibly could. There was clearly a lot that needed to be discussed between them.

Out of the three of them, Anastasia was the last to have been transplanted in South Korea. As luck would have it, she was lost in Myeongdong while trying to make her way to Gangnam and it was Eden who stumbled across her. Believing it was going to be a moment where she would have been dumped off once she’d been helped, Anastasia offered to maintain contact with the mixed woman. Eden had no real reason to say no, so they continued to talk. It must have been a relief for Eden as well, seeing as Anastasia was also an American citizen trying to get by in a foreign country.

In time, Eden introduced her to Raelyn. The two of them were friends longer, but Anastasia didn’t feel left out in the slightest. In fact, she felt more included in the group thanks to Raelyn. Eden didn’t seem like the social type, at least in settings that involved large crowds of strangers. Being a nurse, Raelyn was used to being kind to strangers, lending the warmth and empathy necessary in order to make people comfortable. It seemed she continued to harness this ability outside of hospital walls.

None of them worked in the same field, but Anastasia could safely say that these two women were her very best friends.

She never had to feel ashamed for not knowing something and she knew she could come to them with anything. When she dated Jungkook for the short amount of time she had, neither women seemed to judge her when she explained that he had ties to a well-known mafia in their district. Imagine her surprise when she found out that Raelyn was the ex-girlfriend of the Golden Jackal’s boss.

The ties that bind, indeed.

Her own business aside, it seemed that Raelyn was just as shocked as _she_ was to find out about what was happening with Eden. Her ex, Min Yoongi, was apparently the very same Min Yoongi that both Raelyn and she knew. Shocker, of course, but what was more surprising was that he’d kept his ties with the Golden Jackals a secret from her for the entirety of their relationship, including the last two years when they weren’t together anymore. There were moments when Eden looked like she was going to cry from anger, but she kept it together as best she could. Anastasia held her friend’s hand as Raelyn rubbed Eden’s back.

“I’m sorry, Ana,” Eden said suddenly, causing both Raelyn and her to blink, “for getting mixed up with Jungkook like this. I didn’t know.”

Anastasia raspberried at her friend, eliciting a snicker from Raelyn. “Girl, stop. Chicks before dicks, remember? And besides,” she said, making her way back to the stove, “Jungkook and I ended things mutually. We just didn’t…_ mesh_, I guess is the right word? We’re still friends and hang out and shit, but no, there were no feelings lost when we ended things.”

Raelyn leaned in toward Eden, a devious look on her face. “Why’re you apologizing, huh, Eden?” She nudged her playfully. “You catchin’ feelings now after giving him the cold shoulder?”

Eden opened her mouth, raging silently at the other woman, before she grabbed the neck of the bourbon bottle and drank straight from the lip. Raelyn laughed, trying to wrench the bottle from her – succeeding but at Eden’s expense as a dribble of liquor spilled from her mouth. Both Anastasia and Raelyn laughed as they watched their friend wipe childishly at her face.

“Shut-up, both of you!” Eden looked like she was going to smack Raelyn, but stopped – her eyes noticing something which, in turn, drew Anastasia’s eyes. “Wait, what is that?”

Anastasia looked closer and saw the silver pendant hanging from Raelyn’s neck. It was a crescent moon with a few engravings carved into the surface of it. It certainly wasn’t new. In fact, it looked well-worn. But she hadn’t seen her wearing jewelry like that and from the reaction that Eden gave, it was clear that she didn’t see her wearing much either.

“That’s pretty,” she said, reaching out with a hand to lift the pendant up from her neck, “is this new?”

Raelyn swallowed hard, pulling back and then hiding the pendant under her scrub top. “No, it’s not.”

Eden smirked, pouring herself a drink properly this time – in a glass. “Did Taehyung give that to you?”

Anastasia gasped; her eyes wide as she looked at Raelyn. “Is that boy still chasing after you, Unnie?” She wiggled her brows at her, and she laughed when Raelyn snapped her fingers at them both. “So, _ did he _ give that to you?”

“No,” she said, turning away from them to nurse her drink, “he didn’t.”

“Did the boss man give that to you?”

Eden’s words were so matter of fact that it had clearly caught Raelyn off guard, the woman spraying alcohol before whirling around in her chair to stare at them. Her mouth was agape, and Anastasia would have laughed if the prospect hadn’t been so outrageous. But her friend’s reaction held way too much truth in it and she furrowed her brows with concern.

“Rae,” she said, watching Raelyn look up at her, “did Hoseok really give that to you?”

Even though Raelyn said nothing, her silence spoke volumes. It was no secret between the three of them, not anymore. She’d laid it all out there for them to poke at and analyze and they all agreed that she’d done the right thing. Raelyn was a nurse and dealing with that sort of business was messy. Being the boss’s girl only made her job harder and from what she told them, the struggle was too real back in those days – before she really even knew either of them. Anastasia remembered a night when Raelyn confessed that had she been friends with them back then, she may have been able to handle the stress of that life – of the responsibilities of being a “Hyungsoo-nim”.

The pocket of her apron vibrated, and she fished out her phone, spying the screen and seeing that it was a message from Seokjin.

**Seokjin:** **_Thanks for all your help this week. It’s a shame I couldn’t take you out to celebrate tonight. I hope you’re having a good time with your friends. I’ll see you in the morning._**

She smiled, thinking on what to say back to him in response.

“So, are you two back together or what?”

Anastasia sighed as she looked at Eden, dropping her phone back into her apron pocket. Whatever she was about to say was knocked from her brain at the suddenness of the question, even though it wasn’t even directed toward her. “Eden Unnie…”

She just shrugged, draining her glass. “What? It’s a legitimate question.”

“No, we’re not.” Raelyn pressed a hand to her forehead. “We can’t. _I_ can’t.” Her hand pressed against her top where the pendant was hidden beneath. “I don’t even know why he left this with me.”

Eden snorted. “Who knows what those fuckin’ jackasses are up to?” Her eyes narrowed. “Part of me doesn’t even want to know.”

Again, Anastasia only sighed as she turned back to the kitchen counter to stir the rice in the cooker. The roast she had in the oven was about to finish, according to the timer she’d set earlier, and she was already slipping her hands into a pair of oven mittens. None of the women said anything and she knew she had to be the one to break the silence. Especially since there was an aspect of that world that neither woman seemed to know about. Not yet, anyway.

“I probably shouldn’t be telling you guys this,” she began, leaning forward to open up the oven and pull out the dish, “but the boys are going straight.”

She rested the dish on the counter to let it cool, taking the mittens off and shoving them into the front pocket of her apron. When she turned around, however, she was shocked to see the unbothered expressions on both Raelyn and Eden’s faces. For a moment, she couldn’t say anything and neither did they. Finally, Anastasia couldn’t take it anymore.

“What? Why are you both lookin’ at me like that?”

Raelyn was the first to speak.

“Do you know how many years they’ve been sayin’ that shit?”

Eden rolled her eyes.

“That’s what they _all_ say. It’s all a bunch of bullshit in the end.”

She blinked, not sure if she was more shocked by their disbelief in what she was telling them or how they seemed almost indifferent.

“Guys, I’m serious.” They gave her another look, as if they weren’t about to indulge her on whatever whim she was attempting to have. Anastasia pouted. “I work for one of their companies now. I was in Busan earlier this week helping Seokjin manage their accounts after they consolidated a lot of their assets.”

This time, they gave her a curious look, looked at each other, and then looked back at her.

“Wait, hold up,” Raelyn finally said, holding a hand in front of her as if she were stopping someone from continuing further, “do what now?”

“You’re managing _mafia accounts_, Ana?” Eden’s voice rose an octave, her body rising from the chair in tandem, “like some kinda fuckin’ _bookie_? Are you _crazy_, woman?!”

She waved her hand back and forth while shaking her head. “Nononono! That’s what I meant, though.” Anastasia leaned forward, her friends doing the same as their faces were inches apart from each other. “They’re forreal goin’ straight. Like, the money’s clean and they’ve been liquidating assets they have from so many different areas. Not just here in Korea, either. They apparently have deals they’ve had set up in the States, too. Contracts and shit. I’m not playing.”

Eden’s eyes narrowed as something appeared to cross her mind. She leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. “So _that’s_ what he was up to…”

Both Raelyn and she gave their friend a look. “What who was up to?”

“…nothin’. Don’t worry about it.” Anastasia blinked when Eden lifted her gaze to meet hers. “It looks pretty solid?” She nodded and saw the mixed girl cast a sidelong glance to Raelyn. “And what are you plannin’ to do, Unnie?”

Raelyn face twisted into one of confusion. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“What are you gonna do if it’s true? If they go straight, then that means you wouldn’t have to sacrifice your freedom anymore.” Eden narrowed her eyes slightly. “That was the whole reason why you ended things with Hoseok, isn’t it? Why do you keep pushing Taehyung away from you?”

Anastasia watched Raelyn stammer, like she was scrambling to grasp the words that were fluttering away from her and into the sky.

“W-Well, what about you?!”

“What _about_ me?” Scoffing, Eden shrugged. “I didn’t even know one was involved with the mafia for nearly five years and the other told me outright that he was a _gangpae_. Straight, crooked. Doesn’t make a goddamn difference to me, apparently. What is there to fuckin’ talk about?”

Anastasia seemed to understand what Raelyn was trying to say and she sighed, moving through the kitchen to fetch plates and utensils. “She’s talking about what you’re gonna do about Yoongi and Jungkook…”

“I still don’t know what you’re gettin’ at.”

“Do you still have feelings for Yoongi and does knowing he’s trying to go straight make a difference?”

Raelyn nodded as Anastasia set their plates in front of them. “And what about Jungkook? …you let him stay with you for a couple of days. Is something there? Does knowing he and Yoongi are brothers, so to speak, affect that at all?”

For a moment, Eden looked between them and then she angrily downed her drink. “When did this start being about me? Mind your own goddamn business, you fuckin’ busybodies!”

Anastasia laughed and Raelyn followed suit. It was clear they’d riled Eden up to the point of her lashing out now and while they knew not to take her barbarous words to heart, they knew when to let off the gas and pump the brakes. They all agreed that they would cross those bridges when they came to it, promising to stick together when shit inadvertently hit the fan.

Because they all knew that it would.

There was a lingering concern in the back of Anastasia’s mind, however. Something she couldn’t quite shake. For every choice that was made, there was always a consequence. Cause and effect. It was both scientific and human nature to react in response to an action.

Her brows furrowed.

_…how big will the butterfly effect be this time?_


	25. Moving On

_ _

"Back then I thought this was a big place.  
But my ambition grew too big."

_ Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
South Korea _

There were things in this life that some people just did not deserve. There were some things in life that they did. Everyone deserved love, life, and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone didn't deserve to be treated like the slop of swine and kicked to the curb like yesterday's garbage. People deserved to be treated the way that they want to be treated. They didn't deserve to have their most cherished possessions taken from them. Everyone was allowed to have at least one miracle in their life. No one deserved to have said miracle denied them.

Namjoon sighed, thinking back on all the things that the Golden Jackals suffered through, as well as accomplished. It was nothing to spit at, that was for sure. A lot was done in a seemingly short amount of time. They were finally getting to a head with all their hard work. Sacrifices had been made, bounties were gained, and dreams were soon to be obtained.

Finally, it was all going to come to a fruitful end.

The quietude of the office brought solace to Namjoon’s heart. Nothing pleased him more than to be surrounded by books, especially those telling bold tales of far off worlds – places he could only dream about. It was a shame, really, what limitations the human mind was succumbing to, as well as what lengths society was willing to go in order to snuff out the beauty of something so mystifying as magic, science fiction; as any form of literary art, really.

Beside him were four thick textbooks concerning various histories in several different eras of socioeconomic growth from many regions, not just Korea. In fact, he’d managed to secure one book regarding the Military-Industrial Complex of America. While he had no interest in being a lobbyist or securing funds through militant means, Namjoon knew there was probably a way to formulate a plan in the corporate aspect to help further their goals. As well as foresee any pitfalls that were sure to crop up at any point during their transition into legality.

History of any kind, real and fantasy alike, were realms in which Namjoon liked to dabble and explore of his own volition. Nothing brought him more pleasure than studying the past, because studying the past meant correcting current mistakes, as well as preventing future ones from occurring altogether.

Because predictably, history had a way of repeating itself. Namjoon wasn’t about to let that happen anytime soon.

Namjoon set his pen down with a satisfied smirk, pleased with the stack of completed paperwork he’d just fought his way through. The end of their arduous road was fast approaching. Tensions were high for the last few days, but it was necessary. Things needed to be put into perspective and while it hurt to have it thrown in their faces in such a way, he knew that Jungkook was right. They all did. They hadn’t thought that far ahead in advance, so focused on the finish line and not the aftermath that would ensue had they not properly gotten things lined up like they needed to.

His phone buzzed and rang with life beside him, causing him to jump slightly. He saw it was Seokjin and answered.

“Hello?”

_“Ah, Namjoon-ah?”_

“Yeah?”

_“Where are you?”_

“I’m on my way back now.”

_“See you downstairs. The others just got back home.”_

Namjoon hung up the phone and gathered up all his notebooks and folders, exiting his room and making his way downstairs. He’d barely made it to the main floor of their house when he saw Jungkook appearing from the basement area. He saw him drying his wet hair with a towel, presumably finishing his workout and showered. When he remembered how Jungkook looked after Yoongi brought him home a few days ago, it was clear that Jungkook would always be the type to bounce back from any injury like it was nothing.

From shaky legs to solid jabs. The recovery level of that boy was astonishing.

“Hyung?”

Namjoon blinked, looking at Jungkook as he stared at him with a slightly perplexed look on his face. “Huh?”

“Is everything alright?” Jungkook draped the towel across his neck. “You look like you want to tell me something.”

He grinned, shaking his head. “No, it’s nothing.” He reached his hand out to clap Jungkook on the shoulder. “You’ve really become a man these last few years, Jungkook-ah.”

The younger man blinked, then shyly scratched at the side of his nose. “…Hyung, cut it out.”

Namjoon wrapped his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder just as the others started filing into the main living room. There was a platter of fruit set out in the middle of the table and Jimin was getting ready to uncork a bottle of champagne. Taehyung was about to tell him to be careful just as he popped the cork, Seokjin already grabbing a champagne flute to catch whatever alcohol managed to spill from the mouth of the bottle.

Seokjin handed everyone glasses and they all waited until Hoseok held his hand up to present a toast.

“We’ve finally done it, my brothers,” he said, giving a wistful smile, “it took us a long time to get here, but we’ve made it.” Hoseok shifted his gaze to Jungkook, his brows furrowing slightly. “Forgive your Hyung, Jungkook-ah, for neglecting those who were willing to sacrifice everything for our dreams. They have dreams too and I shouldn’t have forgotten about that.”

Jungkook bit his lower lip, averting his gaze from Hoseok as his arm holding the glass lowered slightly.

Hoseok looked at Namjoon. “Did you get it all squared away?”

He nodded, holding up the notebooks and folders in one hand so that everyone could see. “I made sure that every single one of our Jackals will have job security in our new businesses, and those that want to simply take their earnings and return home to their families can do so. If any of them want to start their own business ventures, I made sure that they could get in contact with us for any assistance.”

Namjoon saw Jungkook lift his head up, looking between Hoseok and then himself, until finally his eyes settled on Hoseok. “H-Hoseok Hyung…”

“We’ve made it. It’s time we shared the wealth.” He raised his glass and everyone else followed suit. “To leaving the dirty and dark road behind!”

They all clinked their glasses, smiles on their faces. It was the first time in years they could all smile in relief. A heavy weight was thrown off their shoulders – a proverbial mountain they’d been lugging around all this time.

* * *

__**Three Months Later**  
_Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District_ _  
South Korea_

There was a throng of reporters and curious pedestrians that gathered around in front of the large building in Yongsan’s central district. Flashbulbs exploded from cameras, several corporate board members standing on the other side of a large red ribbon made of silk. Namjoon and Seokjin stood on either side of Hoseok as he held a large pair of scissors in his hands. Everyone held their breaths in excitement, waiting for the moment when the shears would cut through the delicate fabric.

And then Hoseok’s arms moved, the _snip_ sound almost lost in the seemingly endless chorus of shutters from cameras as they continued snapping photos.

It was a way to usher in the New Year.

That was what Seokjin suggested, pushing back the unveiling of their greatest achievement. Golden Star Tower Hotel was their crowning success and it deserved every single aspect of respect regarding its perfection. Namjoon hesitated at first, not sure whether it was a good idea to push the unveiling back. In the end, Seokjin’s eye for reading the market never failed them. Waiting until the holiday aftermath trickled down was smart. While everyone focused on families, festivals, and all the holiday push and pull, the focus on their hotel would have been lost.

Everyone cheered, the press rushing in to ask Hoseok questions, to which he readily answered. He’d been grooming himself for this for years now and all their preparation was starting to bear fruit.

The rumble of the Underworld was but a soft vibration under their feet. They no longer had to concern themselves with keeping their ears to the ground. The Golden Jackals were no more. What the criminal society decided to do with that information no longer concerned them. It was a fight they would no longer be a part of.

Nevertheless, Namjoon kept a keen ear out in case trouble decided to stir in the wake of their absence. Trouble that would, in a sense, try to drag them back into the darkness. He wouldn’t hear of it. Not when they were finally starting to feel the sun on their faces.

There was talk, of course, and repercussions for their actions. It came with the territory. Tabloids spread rumors that their money was dirty, and they were attempting to erase their dark pasts. Hoseok answered these accusations with the professionalism and charisma of a foreign dignitary. He didn’t hesitate with his responses and this threw the press for a loop. Within a few short weeks, the negative articles that were written about Hoseok and his gang of Golden Jackals were a thing of the past.

Every step that was taken was a step they were prepared to take. More than prepared.

Namjoon and Yoongi would help Hoseok with the hotel management – both regarding foreign and domestic visitors, as well as financial structuring. Seokjin handled the Golden Star investment firm with Jimin. Gaining Anastasia as a financial advisor had been paramount in tying up loose ends – finalizing their last few steps into legality and away from the criminal underworld. Seokjin sang her praises, as was customary with someone whose skills he valued. There were whispers that he and Anastasia were getting a little _too close_, according to Jimin, but it wasn’t something that anyone in the group really needed to worry about. Both Seokjin and Anastasia were professionals and kept their personal lives as far away from their business personas as much as possible.

Taehyung and Jungkook handled things regarding the entertainment aspect of things. While they sold a good portion of their nightclubs, the Golden Star label, while small, would focus on up and coming artists who thrived in the Indie Underground. With technology advancing as rapidly as it was, it was no secret that there were young and talented artists all over the country. And not just in music, but in theatre and art as well. Some were starving artists, wanting to hone their skills at the sacrifice of having to live on the streets.

Jungkook was particularly empathetic toward these cases, personally reaching out to help them achieve their dreams – one step at a time.

As they led the press inside to give everyone a grand tour of the hotel, Namjoon felt his phone buzz with life. He pulled out his cell and spied on the screen. It was Yoongi relaying a message that things were quiet at the investment firm. They’d left things in his hands since Seokjin’s presence was required at the grand opening of the hotel. He shot him a quick text back, saying they were going to be wrapping things up soon.

“Is Yoongi bored?” Seokjin asked, sidling up next to Namjoon and bumping his shoulder slightly.

Namjoon looked at him, eyes wide, before he craned his neck in varying directions to ascertain where Hoseok was. He took a breath when he saw that he was being surrounded by reporters as he showed them the many different check-in kiosks – built to help with the reservation process. They both watched Hoseok smiling and explaining things to the letter, not missing a single beat when more and more questions were tossed into his lap.

Seokjin nudged him again, causing him to stumble to the side slightly. “Well?”

He laughed, bumping his shoulder against his as well. “He’s fine. Probably just worried.”

“Should I go back and relieve him?” Seokjin grinned, shrugging. “It’s not like these people actually care about us. Hoseok is the star of _this_ show, it seems.”

“Looks like it,” replied Namjoon, shrugging one shoulder as well, “if you want to head back, you can. I can handle things from here.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Namjoon grinned, narrowing his eyes playfully at Seokjin. “Besides, I know you’re wondering what a certain financial advisor is getting into.”

Seokjin scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t start.” He looked at his watch. “We’re all still meeting up later, right?” His gaze lifted back up to meet Namjoon’s. “For the party?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I believe so. Taehyung and Jungkook should be finishing up their business by then.”

“Good.”

They both turned to see Hoseok was moving a little bit further into the large, main lobby of the hotel. He met their gaze, smirking at them, before returning to answer more questions that others were giving him. Namjoon shook his head while shoving his hands into his pockets. Seokjin patted Namjoon’s chest, brushing past him to exit the hotel.

Just as he was about to return to Hoseok’s side, his phone buzzed once more. Turning over the cell in his hand, he saw the message was from Shownu. His eyes narrowed, craning his neck to see if the sender was in the hotel. When he saw that he wasn’t, Namjoon’s gaze returned to the phone to read the actual message this time.

**Shownu:** _**Congratulations, Namjoon-ah. Don’t let the sunlight blind you.**_

He slipped the phone back into his pocket, not bothering to reply. There was nothing for Namjoon to say. No. They weren’t part of that world anymore. What the Jade Fangs did now no longer concerned them. They wouldn’t go back. No, they _couldn’t_ go back.

After clawing their way out, there was no way they were going to let themselves get dragged back down to hell.


	26. Let Me Know

_ _

"Maybe we’re all just a bunch of fools.  
Everyone lives with a love that has come to an end."

_Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea _

Seokjin relieved Yoongi from manning his office, reminding him to not be late for the party. He replied with a half grunt, muttering to himself that he didn’t see a reason why he needed to be there. Seokjin sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth, catching the look Yoongi gave him. He would acquiesce or there would be hell to pay. His brother seemed to understand this, watching him wave his hand back and forth as he exited his office. Seokjin gave a satisfied smirk as the door clicked shut.

Crossing his office, he stood in front of a full-length mirror and adjusted the gunmetal gray collar of his dark blue dress shirt – his slender finger slipping beneath the black cotton turtleneck that was worn underneath. Both shirts were tucked into his black slacks, an elegant silver chain hooked from one belt loop and into the pocket of his pants. He readjusted the cuffs of his shirt just as a knock from the door resounded in the room.

“Come in,” he said, not bothering to turn around.

The door opened and clicks from heels could be heard against the hard floor before the door closed once more.

“Is this outfit you picked really necessary, Seokjin-ah?”

As he turned, the smirk on his face at an oncoming quip was immediately wiped from his features. Anastasia stood before him in a fire engine red dress, the hem just barely touching her knees. The high neck of the fabric hugged her shoulders, exposing her chest, and the dress accentuated her bosom. Her arms were completely covered with red lace – woven in floral patterns to give it an eloquent touch. She wore a pair of nude high heels and there were two large silver bracelets that adorned her wrists.

He took note of the flush around her cheeks, her dark blonde hair pulled up into a messy updo and tendrils framed her face. Anastasia’s makeup was modest, save for the deep red lipstick painted over her buds. She rubbed at her arms – whether from cold or from feeling shy, he couldn’t really tell.

“Well, are you gonna say something or just keep staring at me over there?”

The irritation was hard to miss in her voice, but what was missed in tone could easily be interpreted from her facial expression. Seokjin shook his head, grin returning to his features, and slowly made his way toward her. Anastasia took a step backward, averting her gaze just as he reached out to remove her glasses. She blinked rapidly, her brows furrowing.

“Seokjin,” she said, her green eyes peering at him, but he knew she wasn’t really looking, “I can’t see.”

“You should invest in contacts,” he said, gently replacing her glasses back onto her face, “though I can’t say I’m against this look either.”

Anastasia pouted, smacking his shoulder and he laughed. “Don’t be a jackass,” she muttered.

He grabbed her wrist, slipping her arm through his. “Did you finish everything you needed to?”

She nodded as they exited his office. “I did. The hotel opening went well, I take it?”

“It did,” Seokjin replied with a smile, leaning forward so he could brush his lips against the shell of her ear, “we couldn’t have done it without you.”

Anastasia made a very loud (and very unladylike) sound with her throat, causing him to throw his head back and laugh.

He couldn’t help himself when it came to her. It was just so much fun to get her all riled up, especially since they were clearly toeing the line between business partners and intimacy. Seokjin certainly wasn’t going to hide his attraction to her and during the last few months, it was clear that she felt something for him as well. He wasn’t quite sure what that was – not yet. Sure, he could make assumptions all day and night but that wasn’t going to bring him closer to the truth.

But he wasn’t in any kind of rush, either.

“So, are you ready for a well-deserved party?”

She shrugged as they began to take the elevator down to the main lobby. “I’ve never been big on this sort of thing. Honestly, I’ve had my fill of company parties.”

Seokjin huffed. “Well, this will be different. You’ll be around people you actually like.”

Anastasia gave him a sidelong glance, smirking. “Are you _sure_ that I like you guys?”

“Wow,” he said, pressing a hand to his chest, “that might have hurt a little.” Seokjin turned slightly, cornering Anastasia as the elevator began to descend. Her hand slipped from his arm as he pressed his palms on either side of her, leaning in until their noses barely touched. “Are you saying you don’t like me, Ana?”

Her eyes grew wide and she tried to shrink back from him, her face showcasing her realization that she did, in fact, have _nowhere_ to flee to. “I…I didn’t say that.”

Feeling she’d been sufficiently punished, Seokjin leaned back and turned to face the elevator door. Anastasia released an audible sigh of relief and he chuckled, reaching out for her arm so that he could loop it back through his. The elevator dinged for the main floor and Jimin stood waiting for them, clad in a silk black suit and black tie. He blinked a few times in surprise at seeing Anastasia. Whether it was because she was arm-in-arm with Seokjin or her entire ensemble remained a mystery.

Regaining his composure, he strolled up to them with his trademark smile. “The car is waiting out front,” he said, gesturing toward the main entrance. He gently nudged Anastasia as the three of them walked. “Ready to show off your two left feet?”

Seokjin watched Anastasia try to cuff Jimin as he twirled away from them, laughing. There was something about the scene that made his heart seem even lighter than it had earlier that day. This was it. This was _ their time _ to finally shine instead of remaining hidden in the dark. Jimin clearly appeared happier and there was a part of Seokjin that still felt a twinge of remorse toward him. Out of the entire group, Jimin was the last to come to Seoul because he was the most reluctant to leave. He had every intention of taking over his family’s pastry shop back in Hwaseong.

Would he eventually want to return home? To that life?

“Hyung?”

Seokjin blinked, realizing that both Anastasia and Jimin were staring at him intently. He’d gotten lost in his own thoughts again. Smiling, he shook his head and opened the door so that Anastasia could climb in first. He urged Jimin to enter next, but his younger brother smiled and told him to go ahead.

Once the three of them were settled inside comfortably, they told their driver their destination and simply waited to arrive.

“What about Taehyung and Jungkook?” he asked, looking at Jimin.

Jimin grinned. “They went to go pick up their _plus ones_ for tonight.” Anastasia stifled a giggle and he watched Jimin rolling his eyes. “They’re meeting us there with the others.”

“Alright,” he said while pulling out his phone, “I’m going to let Hoseok and Namjoon know we’re on the way.”

* * *

_ Seoul – Itaewon; Yongsan District  
South Korea _

_Soap Seoul_ was alive with the heavy bass beats of the DJs playing inside. They could hear the music booming out into the streets as they pulled up. There was a long line of those wishing to gain access, but as their car pulled up and Jimin exited the vehicle, they were immediately greeted by the security at the front door. Seokjin palmed a roll of bills into one of the bouncer’s hands and he unhooked the velvet chord, granting them entrance.

Seokjin helped to guide Anastasia through the crowd, various people greeting them. Some were familiar faces and others weren’t. He kept his hand on her waist, making sure that she was at his side so that she wasn’t swept up in the sea of bodies. Jimin already disappeared, presumably to search out the others.

“Seokjin Hyung!” he heard someone yell over the noise of the crowd and the pulse of music.

He looked around and spied Namjoon, clad in a slate blue three-piece suit. His tie was loose, probably from the heat of so many bodies crowding around them.

“Namjoon-ah,” he called back, seeing Anastasia lifting one of her arms to wave in his direction to get his attention, “over here!”

Namjoon slipped through the crowd, squeezing his way toward them. When he reached them, he flashed a half-smirk to them both. “You guys made it.” He pointed over his shoulder. “We have a VIP room toward the back.”

“Where is Jimin-ah?” Anastasia asked, her eyes scanning the crowd. “I haven’t seen him since we got here. He just up and left!”

“He’s already back in the room to see Hoseok and Yoongi.”

Seokjin canted his head slightly. “What are you doing out here then?”

“Well, I was looking for you guys, but Taehyung and Jungkook said they were pulling up.”

“Ah,” he replied, nodding his head slightly as he glanced down toward Anastasia, “did you want to go ahead and move to the back or wait for the others?”

He watched her shake her head. “No, it’s fine. We can go ahead and head toward the back. I don’t want them waiting on us.”

That was all he needed to hear. Anastasia seemed to press herself tighter against Seokjin and he took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulder so that she could curl into him. Namjoon parted ways with them, heading toward the entrance as they proceeded to make their way toward the back. There were a variety of different booths, black curtains quartering them off from the rest of the dance floor, and then the pale blue lights of various atriums began appearing as they neared further toward the back of the club.

The music wasn’t as boisterous in this area – a soft, muffled pulse of a heartbeat by now. Their room had a single black triangle on the outside, a white circle in the middle of it. Seokjin knocked twice before opening the door, seeing Hoseok, Yoongi and Jimin inside – already pouring drinks. There was a large array of liquor bottles adorning the table, a tray of fruit and snacks, and several plush, leather sectionals to give everyone elbow and breathing room.

Hoseok was dressed in his most comfortable black and white silk suit, the shirt underneath unbuttoned and showing off the modest silver chain that hung from his neck. His pale-blue lensed aviators framed his face and he gave a casual smile to Anastasia. She immediately bowed her head out of polite respect and Seokjin had to refrain from laughing.

“It’s good to see you, Anastasia-ssi,” Hoseok greeted, gesturing for them to have a seat, “have a seat. Relax.” He held out a shot glass to her. “Can I pour you a drink?”

Yoongi snorted, his expression harder to read. He seemed amused, but the way his posture was, it indicated that he was slightly uncomfortable or annoyed. Or both. His black blazer hung loose over his black and red patterned shirt – a silver butterfly lapel pin shining against the modest amount of lighting inside the room. He was already nursing a shot of whiskey, his cheeks only slightly rosy from the alcoholic intake.

Seokjin could only imagine how much he’d been drinking these days, let alone tonight.

Anastasia took a seat, grasping for the shot glass as Hoseok poured her a drink. Yoongi was already doing the same for Seokjin when the door flung open. In burst Taehyung, a periwinkle blue blazer draped over his white fleece sweater – a pair of simple black slacks hugging his waist. He flashed his boxy grin at them, holding a hand up in greeting. However, it was the person that followed behind him that gave everyone pause.

Raelyn, their former Hyungsoo-nim, entered behind Taehyung – her arm looped through his as her other hand was holding tightly to the silver clutch at her waist. Her purple, handkerchief cocktail dress flowed delicately around her form – bringing out the color of her brown skin even more. The neckline dipped and curved over her chest, the straps reaching for her neck sparkling with rhinestone gems. The heels of her silver stilettos clicked loudly despite the noise of the club flooding into the room.

Everyone started to stand up, out of habit, before lowering themselves back down into their seats. The only one who didn’t move was Hoseok. Seokjin saw them make eye contact until Anastasia seemed to shake the strange atmosphere by getting up to go and greet her friend.

Something around Raelyn’s neck caught Seokjin’s eye and he spied the crescent moon pendant. Namjoon entered the room after them, locking eyes with Seokjin almost immediately. Neither of them said a word. Between the entire group, only Namjoon and Seokjin understood the significance of that pendant.

And who it originally belonged to.

Hoseok seemed to deduce what they were thinking, and he immediately shook his head, silencing whatever voiceless questions they were about to throw at him. Instead, he stood up and crossed the room, hugging Raelyn and she returned the gesture. She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek in greeting and he stepped to the side to allow Taehyung to help her get situated.

Jungkook finally squeezed his way inside. Seokjin had to, yet again, remind himself that Jungkook wasn’t the little kid they adopted into their little circle of friends. He was a man. A man who apparently could fill a suit out very well. The silk black lapels seemed to shimmer, the rest of his blazer a pristine white – the black accents for the buttons and cuffs were sharp. He wore a black silk tie over a simple white dress shirt which was tucked into a pair of black slacks.

The woman on his arm, whether intentional or not, matched his sharp dress code to the letter.

Her olive skin seemed to glow under the light of the room, and the simple black dress she wore hugged her figure in all the right ways. The hem stopped just above her knee and the dress was draped over her chest at an angle. The piece of fabric that hung around her neck seemed to connect to the single sleeve of her left arm – clinging to her like a second skin. She wore black pumps with a silver accent on the toes and heels and she wore no other jewelry save for the large silver hoops that dangled from her ears – her thick, curly hair pulled toward the right of her neck in a low ponytail.

Yoongi was the first to rise from his chair, not necessarily from surprise like the others, but from something else. Seokjin saw him curling his hands into fists and he immediately rose to his feet, attempting to quell the mounting tension building in the room.

“Jungkook-ah,” he said, crossing over to the youngest of their group, “who is this lovely person and how did you convince her to tag along with you?”

Jungkook gave a shy smile, watching as her hand withdrew from his arm so she could shake Seokjin’s hand. “This is Eden McGee,” he said, casting her a sidelong glance. He looked like he wanted to say more, but refrained.

A glass clattered across the table and everyone turned to see the source of the noise. Yoongi took a step back from the small mess he’d made, his brows knitting together. “Sorry about that,” he said, moving to head toward the door to their room, “I’ll go get something to clean this up with.”

He brushed past them, his shoulder knocking into Jungkook’s as he seemed to purposefully push himself between Eden and Jungkook.

Seokjin saw Eden’s eyes peering into his as he shook her hand. But after a moment, her gaze seemed to linger off to the right where Jungkook was standing. She gave a polite half smile, a slight pink touching her cheeks, before looking back at Seokjin.

“I’m Jungkook’s girlfriend,” she said, which seemed to cause Jungkook’s jaw to drop slightly and Seokjin raised his brows. “It’s nice to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** And I decided to add this in because I know you guys were probably curious. I added links to their outfits that they wore, just in case the descriptions I gave didn't do them justice. Listed in order of appearance:  
  
**Seokjin:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649153243259076619/8a62b3fa2c6fa0a91714d7a6928439d18d13d500_hq.png)  
**Anastasia:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649157319673774090/Marcia20Red20Lace20High20Neck20Mini20Dress20EIY_71205.png)  
**Namjoon:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649153575238238208/DwObJk8VsAIlmCB.png)  
**Hoseok:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649155150241333260/80e72566fa95daa2ede669388cbfd07d.png)  
**Yoongi:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649155563095064606/original.png)  
**Jimin:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649154341772460043/tumblr_pqguhwPCUt1tx7soj_540.png)  
**Taehyung:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649153480803614720/9929424025c3fd36a3bb0c0e29024d7d.png)  
**Raelyn:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649157838995849236/Purple-Cocktail-Dresses-.png)  
**Jungkook:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649156403591905296/DERlnGVUMAAZU-O.png)  
**Eden:** [Here](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/639936675879059467/649159594840555520/3104720_372072.png)  



	27. Young Forever

_ _

"Even when I fall and hurt myself,  
I keep running toward my dream."

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
_ _ South Korea _

Dawn had not yet stretched its lovely red fingers toward the sky. She was still sleeping, waiting for the moon to take its rest after providing the world with its light. The world was cold; a chilly breeze rushed over Jimin’s body and he hugged the tweed jacket a little closer to his frame. He was accustomed to the shadows, the few people who continued to mill about on the streets serving as a faceless and nameless backdrop to his world.

A world of darkness.

Every day and night that passed, Jimin prayed that he would be able to greet the sun – to feel its warmth on his face. Spring was on the horizon, seemingly just around the corner. Despite the warmth that it provided, as it did every year, Jimin never truly felt he deserved the sun. He walked the dark and broken road that his brothers walked, not wanting them to face the hardships of the future alone. All in the name of a dream that they shared; together.

The dream was no longer a dream.

It was now reality.

And yet Jimin still couldn’t quite fathom it. For nearly ten years, it was a seemingly unattainable goal. Not that he didn’t believe in his Hyungs or the drive of his own younger brothers. They were determined and, as a result, he was equally determined to make impossibilities possible. Just as they depended on him, he regarded them as his own source of inspiration.

Without them, he had no dream of his own.

He didn’t know when he’d come to this realization, but it was something he kept very close to himself. Jimin never wanted to burden his brothers with the troubles that often circulated in his mind and in his heart. Years ago, when they were young and believed that their life path was already forged, Jimin thought that he would simply take over his family’s pastry shop. It was just something that was always assumed – a source of income readily provided for him. His passion for serving customers and throwing his heart into a cake seemed natural.

He foolishly assumed the same for the others.

Seokjin’s family was of old money – a line of aristocrats that continued to carry the tradition of handling the financial aspects of their little country town. Namjoon’s father was the local doctor and his mother ran the pharmacy. Hoseok’s line consisted of farmers and it was always believed that he, too, would take up farm work. Taehyung’s family were also farmers; their orchard was rich and always provided a bountiful harvest. Yoongi’s father was a police officer, slotted for the position of police chief in Hwaseong, and his mother owned a boutique.

Jungkook’s future was the only one that was uncertain; his parents dumping him off at an orphanage when he was still just an elementary student.

In a way, Jimin wondered if they were doing this for their _ maknae_; the one whose place at the finish line was undetermined. He didn’t have the heart to outright ask Namjoon if this was the true endgame for them all. Because save for Jungkook, they had security; they had certainty.

They had a future.

At least this way, they _ all _had a guaranteed one.

With this in mind, he was less worried about the path they carved to get to this point. Blood was shed and sacrifices were made. It was necessary in some respects. But now they could put it behind them. They could go back to being the people they once were. Wild and free from the chains that bound them; young forever.

That was the hope, anyway.

Jimin sighed, brushing some of his hair away from his face as he came to the end of the sidewalk. The crosswalk blinked and beeped, alerting all to stop. Traffic zoomed by in opposite directions of each other and people around him continued their conversations. Some were animated – boys consoling their beloveds. Others were the standard fussings of loved ones reassuring the people they were on the phone with that they would be home soon.

His own phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see who was calling him. Seeing Jungkook’s name picture flash across the screen, he smiled and answered.

“Oh, Jungkook-ah,” he said with a smile, “what’s up?”

_ “Hyung, you look cold,” _ Jungkook said, causing Jimin to look around him. But as far as he could tell, he didn’t see his younger brother anywhere. He heard him laugh on the other line. _ “In front of you, Hyung. Across the street.” _

Jimin looked across the street and saw Jungkook on the other side of the crosswalk, waving one arm back and forth excitedly. Jimin shook his head and chuckled, eliciting another laugh from Jungkook.

“Stay there. I’ll come to you.”

_ “Okay!” _

He hung up the phone, dropping it back into his pocket just as the light changed. Everyone began moving at once and Jimin made sure to keep himself just a little bit ahead of the others. It was a short walk, but Jimin felt like he was literally walking down memory lane; experiencing everything they’d gone through in just a few short steps. When he reached the other side, it was Jeon Jungkook the man who was standing in front of him; not the boy.

_ I wonder when it was that he became an adult, _ he thought just as Jungkook reached out to wrap his arm around Jimin’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Hyung! I’ll warm you up!”

Jimin laughed at Jungkook’s wide smile. “This guy,” he said at the tail end of his laugh, “don’t be ridiculous.”

Jungkook pulled Jimin a little bit closer before releasing him, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “I can’t help it.” He shrugged. “I think we deserve to be a little silly, don’t you?” He saw Jungkook’s smile soften. “We can finally take a breath, right?”

The question took Jimin by surprise. In retrospect, it shouldn’t have, though. It seemed that Jungkook must have been worrying about their futures just as much as he was. Maybe even more. The end of the race was upon them and it felt like they’d been running toward that very end for so long.

So very long.

Reaching out with one hand, he ruffled Jungkook’s hair playfully – laughing when he saw his younger brother sidestep out of the way. Honestly, he didn’t know how to answer Jungkook. He wanted to tell him that he was right; that it was okay to breathe and take in all the clean air they’d been denied for all these years. But there was still a level of trepidation that existed in their world; as though things hadn’t been resolved quite yet.

Instead, he chose to change the subject.

“You’re out late, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin said, catching the look his younger brother gave him, “were you on your way home?”

He shook his head. “No, not yet.”

“Not yet?”

“I, uh,” Jungkook began, not sure if he wanted to finish what he was starting to say. Jimin watched him scratch the side of his head and he couldn’t help the laugh that spilled from him. Jungkook looked like a schoolboy who was about to get scolded. “…I was just taking a walk.”

“Did you go see Noona?”

Jungkook’s cheeks reddened and it wasn’t from the cold. Jimin laughed again, dodging a cuff that was aimed at his shoulder.

“Hyung, stop teasing me!”

“But you make it so easy.”

Jimin lightly bumped his shoulder against Jungkook’s, amused at the younger man hanging his head in defeat. He’d been caught. He decided to tease him some more.

“You could have just stayed the night.”

Jungkook balked at the idea, rearing his head back slightly as if Jimin had suggested he run for a political office of some kind.

Jimin shrugged. “What? It’s not like you haven’t stayed the night before.”

“That was different,” he said, shrugging both shoulders as he kicked the front of his shoe across the pavement.

“How so?”

“I was sick and could barely walk!” Jungkook pouted as he looked at him. “I’m a man who respects boundaries, okay?”

Jimin smiled, shaking his head as he sighed. “So what? You both were up binge watching some show or playing video games until she kicked you out?” He clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Heartless, that woman.”

“Tell me about it!” Jungkook exclaimed suddenly, causing a few pedestrians to look in their direction. He cleared his throat loudly and Jimin stifled the urge to laugh loudly, biting his lower lip for an added measure. “I could have just slept on the couch.”

“Give it some time, Jungkook-ah,” he reassured, placing his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder to give it a squeeze, “she’s trying and showing she cares in her own way. Don’t read too much into it.”

Jungkook groaned. “Easy for you to say. She actually _ likes _ you.”

He raised a brow. “And you think she doesn’t like you?” Jimin scoffed, his hand falling back to his side. “I don’t recall her telling Seokjin Hyung that she was _ my _girlfriend, do you?”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“B-Because!” Jungkook looked genuinely flustered and Jimin smirked. “I mean, we hadn’t even discussed it before that night. Like, not officially anyway.” He rubbed his hair roughly. “I was going to ask her properly that night, y’know? But she up and said it like that and what was I supposed to do?”

Jimin shrugged. “She’s an assertive person, Jungkook-ah. You should know that by now. Are you even surprised that she took matters into her own hands?”

“No, but still…”

“She stole your thunder?”

“Yes, she did!”

“Don’t be so selfish,” Jimin said, narrowing his eyes at Jungkook even though he was still smiling, “let her have this. Give her control.” He looked away from Jungkook and stared up at the sky, his pace slowing a measure. “She had a lot of things thrown into her lap at once and I’m sure she’s still trying to process it all, even now.”

Jungkook slowed his pace down as well, casting Jimin a sidelong glance. “Are you talking about Yoongi Hyung?”

Jimin said nothing; he only nodded. He heard Jungkook sigh beside him and he suddenly stopped, causing Jimin to halt his steps just a couple of feet ahead of him. He turned around and looked at Jungkook whose gaze was now pointed to the ground.

“Jungkook-ah?”

“…I know I should feel guilty for Yoongi Hyung,” he said softly, his eyes still cast downward, “and I know that he’s doing his best to pretend that everything is normal. He doesn’t treat me any differently.”

Jimin remained silent. He didn’t want to interrupt what Jungkook was trying to say; what he was trying to process and properly digest. In a way, he understood fully what was torturing Jungkook. He could grasp the concept more than he let on. But this was something that he knew Jungkook wanted to understand and handle on his own. He wouldn’t interfere, no matter how much he may want to.

No matter how much he cared for _ her_.

“But sometimes I wish he would.” Jungkook finally lifted his gaze to meet Jimin’s, his brows furrowing as the worry lines formed on his forehead. “Sometimes I just wish Yoongi Hyung would punch me, curse me, and throw me away. It would hurt less if he did.”

He watched Jungkook avert his eyes. Sighing, Jimin took a step toward him so that he could close the gap. Once again, he reached out to ruffle Jungkook’s hair. However, Jungkook didn’t step away. It almost looked like it hurt him slightly, but the real pain was tearing him apart from the inside. Jimin knew that look; the look of one who was bottling all their emotions inside in an attempt to appear normal and unfazed on the surface.

It was the look of a man who was doing his best to bury everything inside.

“It would hurt more to deny your heart what it wants, Jungkook-ah.” Jungkook looked up at him, his smile long gone despite Jimin’s remaining. “Yoongi Hyung? He’s a prime example of what you shouldn’t do. He may say otherwise, but I’m sure he regrets what he did and how things wound up. But you know what? That’s his burden to bear, _ not _yours.”

“Jimin Hyung…”

“And regardless of the intent, Eden Noona was damaged by it. She was _ hurt _ and that’s something that Yoongi Hyung must come to terms with. That wound is deep, and it’s probably festered over the years.” His hand slid from Jungkook’s hair and fell back to his shoulder. “That is a scar on her heart that won’t go away. It will _ always _ be there. The only thing that you can do, what you’re now _ obligated _ to do, is acknowledge that pain and help her get through it. Not erase it.”

Jungkook blinked, seemingly unsure of what he was supposed to say next. But Jimin shook his head and smiled, patting his brother’s shoulder gently.

“By claiming to be your girlfriend, she’s giving you that opportunity. She wants to know what you’ll do with it.”

_ She’s stubborn and doesn’t believe she deserves to be loved by anyone. _

“She wants to see if you’re going to be genuine from start to finish, wherever that might be.”

_ She doesn’t believe anyone will stay by her side; that she’ll be abandoned at a moment’s notice. Noona worries about that as much as you do, Jungkook-ah. _

“So, the only thing you can do is continue being who you are; because you’re the one she chose.”

Jungkook’s eyes seemed to brighten and he nodded, his expression showcasing his newfound determination. They were now embracing the sunlight. They could enjoy the fruits of their labor and now, more than ever, could share it with someone.

“I…I gotta go, Hyung,” he said, turning to head in the opposite direction. “I’ll see you at home!”

Jimin watched as Jungkook began running down the sidewalk from where he’d originally come from. He paused, turning to look back at Jimin and he waved. Jimin returned the gesture and then saw him disappear into the small crowd of people.

_ It has to be you, Jungkook-ah… _

When he was no longer in his sights, Jimin sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to paint itself across the sky. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he closed his eyes and waited for dawn to break through the clouds; for it to light up the world around him.

_ …because she didn’t choose me. _


	28. Singularity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Omg, we finally made it to the smut. Hang on to your waistbands, peeps. I know it took us a bit, but I hope it was worth the wait. <3

"Did I lose myself?  
Or did I gain you?"

“Shhh,” came Taehyung’s voice, breath and lips just barely brushing across the soft skin of the beautiful woman beneath him. “You just got back and you need to relax.”

Her skin tone, a lovely brown, glowed beautifully under the dimly lit lamp of her bedroom. He’d conveniently pulled the curtains to dim the early afternoon light. He smirked, watching as her stomach dipped with a sharp intake of breath and saw it still as she held the same breath she took. He began to undo the buttons that had previously been freed from their restraints with his deft fingers. Her ivory and black lace trimmed bra revealed itself beneath the fabric of the blouse, her cleavage prominent and oh-so-very enticing. Once he undid the final button that he could see, he pulled the hidden bits of the blouse out from inside of her pencil skirt – freeing them as well.

He lifted his gaze to meet Raelyn’s, watching as her dark hues took on an amber glow from the lamplight. She had been feeling down the past few weeks. Work was getting taxing, that much was certain, and while his own job kept him busy, Taehyung always made time to give Raelyn his absolute attention. The party was meant to serve as a celebration for all their accomplishments, for them finally walking the legal path they’d strived to reach. But it was hard to miss the hesitation and tension that permeated between Hoseok and her.

Taehyung was ever observant in this aspect.

It would be a lie if he didn’t say he felt a twinge of jealousy. How could he not? For the better part of a year he’d been pursuing Raelyn, despite her constantly giving him the cold shoulder. Something changed, however, in the last few months. He wasn’t sure if she was attempting to take a chance with him or if she’d fully gotten over Hoseok. She didn’t seem like the type to have lingering attachments, but Raelyn could also be a bit sentimental when she wanted to. She was beautiful and determined to remain free from any sort of shackles that attempted to bind her.

It was why he’d offered up the idea of simply letting things flow as they would. No pressure. And little by little, she started to open herself a bit more than she had in the past. Taehyung was elated at the opportunity, not wanting to waste it or any time once it was presented.

She sighed, bringing him out of his thoughts. The silver pendant around her neck shined under the lamplight and he leaned forward to press his lips on her skin just to the left of it. He felt something pulse at his throat and a ravenous hunger took over. Something was so _ sexy _ about a woman completely vulnerable. He could just eat them up.

He could just eat _ her _up.

“You’re killing me,” she said, her hands moving to reach for the waist of his pants. Taehyung’s smirk remained as Raelyn began pulling at the hem of his shirt. “You _ do know that_, right?”

He helped her along, leaning back so he could reach behind him with one hand to pull his shirt up and off his person. Taehyung threw it to the side without a care – hearing it land on the floor with a soft whisper of sound.

“I’ll make it a painless death, I promise,” he whispered, dipping his tongue into her collar before moving lower.

Taehyung pressed his lips to her stomach as he slid his hands beneath her skirt. She shifted beneath his hands and he dipped down a bit further so that they could situate themselves into a more comfortable position on the bed.

“Besides, you know you like it when I take my time.”

He leaned forward, his lips forming into a pout so he could press a kiss against the right cleft of her breast as his fingers wrapped around the fabric of her silk panties. Gripping them tightly, the tip of his tongue began sliding slow, affectionate trails along her skin. As he pulled his hands back, he brought her underwear right along with them. Once his hands were at her knees, he removed them from beneath the skirt as he grasped the zipper at the right side of her hip, tugging slowly to unzip the garment. A soft gasp pushed from Raelyn’s lips and Taehyung smirked, learning down to capture those same lips as he fed on her mouth in an agonizingly slow motion.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her up so she could shrug out of her blouse – throwing it to the side to join his own shirt. Her hands shot forward, digging her fingers into the meat of his thighs and he growled into her mouth, smiling into the kiss as his fingers slowly danced along her spine. He felt the clasp of her bra and flicked his wrist, feeling the constraints _ pop _ free. His other hand moved to rest at the dip of her breasts, curling under the cups of her bra before pulling downward – freeing her.

Taehyung groaned softly, his erection straining against the zipper of his slacks. There was a tinkling sound as Raelyn fussed with his belt, whipping it out of the loops and yanking it with such force that it flew into the wall with a clatter. He broke the kiss momentarily, blinking at her as his lips formed into an open-mouthed smile, his attention on Raelyn’s face as she busied herself with his pants. She cut her eyes at him and he silently obeyed, shimmying out of his pants – his simple black boxer briefs all that remained on his person.

He looked at her, still grinning, noting that she was still in her skirt. And _ only _her skirt. Taehyung clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, as if he was about to reprimand her. However, instead of verbally chastising her, he grabbed for her skirt and yanked them completely off her legs. She gasped, eyes widening with surprise and when it looked like she was about to protest, Taehyung silenced the verbal onslaught by sealing his lips over hers.

The moan of pleasure she released was almost his undoing. He pushed her body down with his own, his bulge practically bursting out of his underwear. Taehyung quickly slipped out of them, wanting to feel all of her against his own skin. Taking a moment to card his fingers through her hair, Taehyung inhaled slowly – taking in her perfume and the hint of sweat that peppered across Raelyn’s skin.

He’d never get tired of it; tired of _ her_. Of waking up to her body molded into his, like jigsaw puzzles lost from the picture but finding each other in the corner of a child’s playroom. Forgotten by all except each other.

He wanted to believe they were a perfect match.

Taehyung’s lips caressed her jaw, his arm snaking down and dipping over her bare stomach - his hand gliding between her legs and relishing in the warmth of her folds.

She called his name, her voice thick with a need of her own; deep and rumbling. It made him ache for her even more; more than when he normally did. Wriggling down, his movements urged her legs to part so he could have his meal. There was no need to hurry. Not today. They had no obligations. Pleasing Raelyn was all he needed to focus on, and he took his sweet time doing just that. He groaned with pleasure as she keened against his mouth, and he drank all of her. He wanted to claim her soul by sucking it right out of her.

He never got tired of her mewling. He knew he never would.

Raelyn’s voice was softer now, hot pants leaving her lips as her thighs trembled against his shoulders. Taehyung wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot. His hands grasped at her hips, thumbs dipping into her skin as he pulled her just a little bit closer. He tugged her to the left, urging her to turn over, and he let his chest fall against her back. His hands gently caressed her ribs, sliding down the length of her arms, finally resting them at her wrists. Fingers curled around her slender wrists, feeling her muscles growing tighter as she reached for everything.

He pulled back to position himself behind her, nails raking up her sweat-tinged spine, and Taehyung whispered her name as his hips moved forward to slide into her in a single motion. He instantly saw stars, blinking them back as he let everything was over her – their motions slow; timeless.

Taehyung knew he wanted this and nothing else. All of her. Forever.

Stroke after stroke rolled from Taehyung and he felt her walls clenching around his shaft, squeezing what little control he had left out of him. His hips bucked into her backside and she cried out, the feel of her orgasm riling him up to the point of release; the need to chase her took precedence immediately. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her close as he pulled her back down onto the mattress with him as they fell on their sides.

Labored breathing filled the space of her room and Taehyung nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. He felt her arm resting on top of his, her fingers lacing through his own, and he smiled against the softness of her skin. Still buried inside of her, he could feel her heartbeat in tandem with the throbbing of her velvet heat wrapped around him. He kissed her neck for good measure, and she laughed softly as it seemed to tickle now that the aftermath claimed them both.

For a while, they said nothing. Taehyung often engaged in pillow talk, but not with Raelyn. He knew she was the type to take in and marinate what just happened. This wasn’t the first time they’d had sex, but he treated it like the first time whenever he could think about it. Because it felt more meaningful that way. It reminded him to not take things for granted if he faced them as if for the first time _ every _time.

He heard her sigh. Not a tired sigh, but a sigh that held a heaviness to the sound. Taehyung frowned slightly, his brows furrowing with worry. It didn’t help that he couldn’t see her face, but her body shook softly in his arms.

“What’s on your mind, Noona?” he asked gently, not wanting to come off as nosy but more concerned.

She shook her head. “It’s…it’s nothing.”

“Hey…” He shifted, moving her body so that she could turn over and face him. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against hers. “…come on. Talk to me.”

Raelyn looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t know how to go about saying it. That was troubling all by itself. She never had a problem speaking her mind at any given moment. He didn’t understand why this time should be any different.

Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her brows knitting together as she wrangled with her words internally. Taehyung remained patient, however, wanting her to have complete control of this moment. He reached out with his hand to brush a few stray strands of hair away from her brow. His hand fell along the curve of her neck, his thumb moving in comforting strokes against her skin.

“Is it really over now?”

Taehyung lifted his brow curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…everything? The Golden Jackals, your work? Is it over for good?” She looked at him, like she was trying to look _ through _him. “…or do I still have to worry?”

Shaking his head, he pulled her a little closer so she could rest her head along the crook of his elbow. “No, it’s over, Noona.” Taehyung couldn’t help but to pet her head, as if he was comforting a frightened child.

Her concerns were understandable. It wasn’t like he didn’t get it. He did. When she’d been with Hoseok, they were still at the height of establishing themselves in the criminal underworld. It was eat or be eaten. That was the way of things in a dog-eat-dog world. But like she’d expressed in the past, she was tired of wondering when someone she cared about would come banging on her door, beaten and nearly half dead. Taehyung felt the same when he was fighting alongside his brothers – witnessing the carnage that ran rampant in their world.

It wasn’t like it didn’t affect him. He had his own scars he carried. The difference was that he was never left to suffer alone. All the reassurances in the world from anyone wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Raelyn, however. He knew that. Because things were always so uncertain, especially back then.

He at least wanted to give her a guarantee of some kind.

“Raelyn…”

Taehyung spoke softly, dropping all honorifics on his part. This gave Raelyn pause, causing her to shift slightly in his arms. Afraid she might pull away, he closed his arms around her – securing the comforting embrace he was attempting to give to her.

“…you don’t have to worry anymore. And if you’re still afraid, if you’re still _ worried_, then let me make a promise to you instead?”

She looked up at him, her brows knitting together as she bit the swell of her lower lip and waited for him to continue. He smiled down at her.

“I know you’re afraid to get close to me. Even now, you’re still pulling away somewhat. I accept that. I accept all of it; all of you.” He inhaled softly, feeling her breath shudder across his skin. “And if anything were to ever happen to me, you still won’t be alone. The others? They _ will _be there for you.”

She pulled back to look at him. Raelyn’s eyes glistened with the onset of tears and she tried to avert her gaze. Wanting to indulge her, he moved his hand to rest against the back of her head. He pulled her close, allowing her to bury her face into his chest once more.

“I promise that you will never have to suffer alone. You will never _be_ alone.” 


	29. Rain

_ _

"Then I turned my eyes to the window and everything looks gray.  
Gray city, gray buildings, gray roads, gray rain."

_ Seoul – Sinchon; Seodaemun District  
_ _ South Korea _

“You’re a lifesaver, Raelyn-ssi!”

“Yeah, thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“We had our hands full, so we really appreciate it.”

Raelyn smiled brightly, shaking her head as she waved at her fellow nurses at the hospital she was dispatched to. They all shared a laugh in the break room, steaming paper cups of coffee cradled in each of their hands as they chatted about how busy their schedules had been. Raelyn’s Korean was good enough that she could keep up with the various dialects that filled the room; from as deep in the city as Seoul to as far as the countryside as Gwangju. She enjoyed getting to know each of the nurses and orderlies who milled in and out of the main general hospital in Seodaemun.

Normally, her hospital in Gangnam was busy. But her supervisor insisted that her expertise would be better suited in Seodaemun for that week. If they needed her longer, she was given the go-ahead to remain for a few more days. Either way, she would earn a full week of PTO when she returned and she certainly wasn’t about to start complaining about that.

Part of her was happy to be out of Gangnam for a few days. She needed time to process things and really think about what road she was taking. Raelyn felt slightly hypocritical when she thought about her relationship with Taehyung, and on many levels at that.

While the Golden Jackals may have been no more, it didn’t change that their foundation was still a little unstable. People wouldn’t shift their opinions about them so easily, though it was becoming less and less difficult to throw that mantle into their faces. However, she was no fool to how the criminal underworld worked. If anything, the lack of firearms made Korean gangsters scarier than American gangsters. In America, all a civilian needed was another gun. While a normal person could carry a knife, the difference was that Korean gangsters could _ all _ fight. All of them. They wouldn’t hesitate to pierce someone with a knife or bludgeon someone to death with a steel pipe.

Getting their hands dirty was part of the territory.

When she thought about it, Raelyn probably attributed her attraction to Hoseok to that level of danger at first. Discovering that he was the leader only caused her adrenaline to soar to new heights, tickling the senses and rousing a deep-seated darkness that she had long since buried while she was living in the States. Raelyn was young and foolish in her younger years, running headlong into the fire and not caring if she wound up getting scorched or not. The feeling of her heart pumping like a piston in her chest made her feel alive. She was addicted to that chemical that released itself in her brain.

There was an actual condition for something like that. “Adrenaline Junkie” as she had once affectionately been called by her peers. That sense of danger excited her. Dealing with Hoseok and the other Golden Jackals was guaranteed a life of said danger.

When feelings were involved, however, Raelyn realized very quickly that the criminal life wasn’t for her. She could handle the backdoor dealings and under the table handshakes. She could take the mask she often had to don when she walked beside Hoseok during gatherings, both with his underlings and his main umbrella. What Raelyn _ couldn’t handle _ was seeing someone she cared about constantly in pain; struggling mentally and physically with his own demons as he promised that things would change. He made those promises as easily as it was for him to breathe.

In the beginning, she’d believed that they were all lies. That he was just saying what she wanted to hear to get her to stay by his side. It was the sort of thing Raelyn expected from most people in her life; men and women, friends and family alike. Nothing changed. Nothing ever did.

But now things were different. Things were beginning to change. Raelyn felt conflicted for the first time in a long while.

“Oh, dammit,” she heard one of the orderlies say, rising from his chair to cross the breakroom, “I forgot to bring an umbrella.”

Raelyn craned her neck with the others in the room, seeing the sudden torrential downpour that fell from the skies. While everyone else groaned in shared sentiments, she smirked and continued to sip her coffee. She didn’t mind the rain. She minded it even less when she didn’t have an umbrella.

_It’ll be fine_, she thought while setting her cup down on the table, _a little rain never hurt anyone._

Her phone buzzed on the table, causing her to raise a brow when she saw two messages. One was from Taehyung, asking the normal question of when she was going to come back home. She shook her head, not sure if she wanted to answer him just yet. It wasn’t like she was avoiding him, but it would be a lie if she said his promise hadn’t shaken her up a bit. Why he felt it was even necessary for her...what did that say about her?

Had she made it that obvious?

The second message was from Eden, which had her almost laughing.

**Eden: _I’m sick of having to deal with this shit by myself. Ana is in LaLa Land and I’m not having it. You hear me? I spoke with your supervisor and he said today’s your last day at that hospital. I’m coming to pick you up. Don’t even think about trying to dodge me._**

She picked up the phone, sending her a ‘smirk’ emoji, before replacing the phone into her pocket. Raelyn scoffed, finishing her coffee and tossing the cup into the trash. If anyone didn’t know any better, people would think that Eden was _her_ girlfriend.

“Raelyn-ssi,” one of the female nurses called out to her, “are you going to be busy later? We were thinking about getting drinks after our shifts were over.”

Eyeing her wristwatch, Raelyn sighed. She was scheduled to do one more walk through of her rounds and then she could call it a day. By the time she finished, Eden would be arriving at the hospital.

Looking up at her fellow nurse, she shook her head and smirked. “I’ll have to take a raincheck, Mina-ssi. My ride is going to be here after we do our rounds.”

A few of her colleagues pouted and she laughed. It was a short amount of time she was dispatched to the hospital, but they already welcomed her as one of them. It was nice to be valued for her skills and who she was as a person versus the color of her skin.

Fifteen minutes seemed to fly by faster than she’d anticipated. As soon as Raelyn finished checking on her last patient, she made her way to the front desk to let them know she was leaving for the evening. Already other nurses and orderlies were coming in to relieve the Day Side crew of their shift – taking on the evening hours until the Overnight shift would come in to replace _ them _.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed and it was a message from Eden telling her that she was pulling up. The rain hadn’t eased up. If anything, it was coming down harder than it had just a while ago. Mulling over the downpour, Raelyn was inwardly thanking Eden for being so stubborn. A little rain never hurt anyone, but a lot of rain in early Spring could cause someone to get sick. Maybe even her.

She waved to the receptionist at the front desk, clutching at her light jacket and bag. As she exited the building, Raelyn stopped just short of the hospital’s awning. She looked around, trying to spy out Eden’s car, and pouted when she didn’t see the mixed girl’s vehicle in sight. Pulling out her phone, she began texting her that she was outside. Raelyn pouted, tapping her foot on the concrete pavement.

“She demands I don’t ditch her, and she goes and ditches _ me _,” she muttered, turning her head in every direction to see if maybe she’d just missed her friend, “that bitch.”

“Take your fuckin’ hands off me!”

Whipping her head to the right, Raelyn’s eyes widened slightly. It was Eden’s voice. Taking a half step forward, the fronts of her shoes got wet from the water splashing on the ground. Squinting, she tried to make out what was happening in the parking lot. Eden was standing there with an umbrella opened over her head, her other hand clinging to a smaller one – presumably for Raelyn. However, there were about four men attempting to accost her.

Raelyn took another step forward, about to intervene. But before she could open her mouth and yell, she saw Eden dropping the umbrella in her hand only to extend the smaller one in her other hand, rearing her arms around her and swinging like she was holding a baseball bat. Successfully clobbering one on the side of the neck, Raelyn could only watch as her friend spun on her heel and smashed her combat clad foot into the gut of one of the men who tried to grab her by the shoulder.

Sighing, Raelyn knew that it was useless trying to get in the middle of one of Eden’s scuffles. The woman was damned and determined to spit in the face of society because they continued spitting in hers. She was hoping that giving Jungkook a chance would loosen Eden up, but it only proved to get the woman even more riled up than usual.

Just as Raelyn was about to take a lean against one of the hospital pillars, one of the men reached out and snatched Eden by the back of her hair. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled back, causing Eden’s head to whip back and she yelled in protest. Raelyn’s legs moved before her mind could process anything, her shoes splashing in small puddles of water as she attempted to close the distance between her and her friend.

“Hey! Get your hands off her!”

No sooner had Raelyn yelled it, did the man holding Eden’s hair scream in pain. He immediately wrenched his hand from her thick curly locks, now soaked in the downpour. Clutching at his wrist, she saw the blood weeping from his fingers and palm. Raelyn skidded to a halt, blinking wildly as she attempted to process just what in the hell just happened. Tilting her head, she didn’t have time to really get a look at the man’s hand before she saw Eden’s knee crash into the side of his temple.

As Eden’s boot slammed into the ground, soft tinkling sounds followed. Raelyn’s eyes shifted to the ground and she could only stare agape at the three razor blades now on the ground. Her eye-line moved to meet Eden’s and her friend smirked, tossing the small umbrella to Raelyn who caught it robotically in her hands.

“I brought this so you wouldn’t have to be standin’ out in the rain,” she replied cheekily. All Raelyn could do was stare at her. Eden cocked her head to the side. “What?”

“…did you really just—”

Before she could get the words out, one of the other men grabbed Eden by the wrist – yanking her backward with all the force he could muster. Her heels slipped on the wet concrete and Raelyn let out a sharp gasp when Eden slammed back-first onto the ground. There was a distinct _pop_ from her shoulder and her yell exploded from her chest.

“Mother…fucker!” Eden snarled through clenched teeth, glaring at the man holding her arm through one open eye. “Let go of me!”

“Let go of her!” Raelyn screamed in tandem with her friend, ready to clobber him with the umbrella the same way her friend had.

“Oi! Let her go, Taewon-ah,” called a voice over the roaring rainstorm.

The man immediately released Eden’s arm, her limb splashing into the water and Raelyn was at her friend’s side – already helping her onto her feet. Her arm dangled limply at her side, but she could feel Eden shaking furiously in her grasp. Whatever pain her friend was in, she apparently didn’t care. The mixed girl was ready to fight like a wild tiger who’d had its whiskers pulled.

Standing off to the side was a man with dark auburn hair dressed in a long black trench coat, a tailored gray suit underneath. He held a clear umbrella over his head, the four men who assaulted Eden now standing by his side. They clasped their hands in front of them, stoic like soldiers despite one of the men’s hands bleeding freely in conjunction with the rain. Still mentally reeling over her friend having razor blades hidden in her hair, she turned to head back inside to treat Eden’s dislocated shoulder.

“I can see why she’s the _ Steel Claw _’s girlfriend,” she heard the man say from behind her.

Raelyn paused, slowly pivoting around but careful not to aggravate Eden’s arm further. “What did you say?”

“She’s feisty, that one.” He grinned, one hand slipping into the pocket of his jacket. “It’s almost a waste, really.”

Eden spit at him despite being several feet away. “And who in the _fuck_ are you?”

He bowed his head politely, his eyes still locked on theirs. “Lee Minhyuk,” he said easily, straightening to his full height, “Jindo Dog of the Jade Fangs.”

A ball of ice crashed into Raelyn’s gut. “W-What?” She tried to maintain her sense of calm, but found it was difficult the more she stared into his icy smile.

Her friend’s laughter cut through her trepidation. “And we’re supposed to give a shit, why? What’s that got to do with those punks following me around like some fuckin’ cockroaches, huh?”

Raelyn was angry now. “You should know by now that the Golden Jackals have phased out from gangster business. Why do you guys insist on poking around?”

Minhyuk shrugged one shoulder. “In our world, it’s not so easy to step into the light. It's a fickle place and treats scoundrels like us as little more than garbage.” Even though his smile was present, his eyes narrowed. “Changkyun-ah is curious, is all.”

“About what?” Raelyn snapped, readjusting her hold on Eden.

“He wants to know if what Hoseok-ah and the others are doing is genuine or just some big show to hide their true plans.” He shrugged again, closing his eyes this time. “And what it will take to drag them back into the shadows with the rest of us.”

“You lousy sack of shit!” Eden shifted forward, attempting to lunge at Minhyuk but Raelyn held her back.

Minhyuk chuckled, pivoting so that only his profile was in view. “One of the tigers has claws. That makes things interesting, for sure. I apologize for the boys’ behavior. They get a little excited from time to time.” Craning his neck slightly so he could face them, he bowed his head again in a polite gesture that was in stark contrast to what his actual words were conveying. “Take care, ladies.”

Neither of them moved, watching Minhyuk leave with his small entourage. When it finally appeared that they were gone, Raelyn felt Eden slump against her. Without wasting another second, she yelled for help and a few of the EMTs who were pulling up for their shift came to her aid. They hauled Eden onto a gurney and wheeled her into the hospital, Raelyn already calling Jungkook to let him know what happened.

The rain was lost to the sound of her raging heartbeat.


	30. I Need U

"All of the things you said are like a mask.  
It hides the truth and rips me apart."

The doctor didn’t have to tell her that it was going to hurt. Eden knew full well what this shit was going to feel like. But that wasn’t to say she was any more prepared for it. Raelyn offered to give her something to bite on, or to inject her with some pain killers to help with the process. Eden wanted none of it. The last thing she wanted to be was numb for this. Every sting of discomfort would serve as an imprint across her entire body.

“Are you ready?” asked the doctor as he braced his palm on her shoulder, the other gripping firmly to her wrist.

Eden glared at the wall, a bead of sweat sliding from her temple to her chin. “…do it, Doc.”

She saw Raelyn out of the corner of her eye, standing just to the right of her bed. The doctor looked at the other nurses, receiving swift nods, before he yanked her arm straight up. There was a distinct _crack_ as joints popped and he pushed hard onto her shoulder, another _snap_ issuing soon after.

Her scream ripped through the entire hospital; positive that she just woke the dead.

Tears leaked out of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks. The tips of her fingers buzzed and itched with life, the circulation correcting itself in her arm. Nerves and muscles pulsed and cried; her arm feeling like gelatin. Her other hand went to clasp at her shoulder as the doctor urged her to cradle the limb in her lap. Nurses were already prepped to place her arm into a sling once she was wrapped and a splint was put into place.

She would have been more outraged had it been her right arm.

After making sure that she was okay, the doctor left a nurse with her, as well as Raelyn. Eden felt a cloth touching her brow – presumably the nurse since her friend was glowering down at her. She had to resist the urge to spit onto the ground, reminding herself that she was, in fact, in a hospital. The nurse murmured a few things to Raelyn before handing her the cloth.

Raelyn was less affectionate with tending to her needs.

Eden’s head made a full tilt as Raelyn pressed the cloth to her temple. Her lip curled upward in a half snarl, giving her a side-eye. “Your bedside manner fucking blows,” she said through clenched teeth, feeling her friend half cuff her with the cloth.

“You’re not the first person to say it and you won’t be the last.”

“I’ll be the last if you don’t stop poking my damn head!” Eden snatched the cloth from her with her good arm. “Gimme that!” She wiped the sweat off herself.

Raelyn folded her arms across her chest, scrutinizing her. “How in the hell did you get mixed up with those assholes?”

“Don’t ask me!” she snapped, glaring up at her, “They just fuckin’ followed me, alright? Not like I was startin’ shit!”

As she continued to dab at her nose and forehead, Eden saw her friend mulling over something in her own head. This was the second time they’d both encountered a member of the Jade Fangs while they were together. It was no surprise that they would be curious about Raelyn. She was Hoseok’s ex-girlfriend; the former _ Hyungsoo-nim_. Word would have gotten out that she was seeing Taehyung now, a little lower on the totem pole, but still a prominent member of the Golden Jackals. Or rather, _former_ Golden Jackals.

But it was clear they had their sights on Eden, not her friend. As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t a blip on their radar. It wasn’t like the Jade Fangs weren’t as prominent as the Golden Jackals. Anyone who traveled through Myeongdong or the Mapo District knew whose territory that belonged to. They’d set their sights on Gangnam until it was wrested from their grasp by the Jackals. People who brushed with the underground were aware of _ all _of this.

_So why me?_ Eden couldn’t help thinking, her eyes narrowing, _why_ _**now**?_

Her phone buzzed on the table beside her bed and she saw it was a message from Jungkook, saying he was on his way. Eden sighed, casting a sidelong glance to Raelyn as she took a seat beside her. “Did you have to tell Jungkook what happened?”

“Yeah, I did,” she said, her tone matter of fact, “better it be your ass and not mine.”

“Wow,” came Eden’s bland response as she rolled her eyes, “you’re _ the _ best friend a girl could ever ask for.”

Raelyn flashed her a shit-eating grin and Eden had to resist the urge to pinch and pull the woman’s cheek. “I know, aren’t I the greatest?”

“I hate you.”

“I love you too,” she said, looking at the EKG monitor with a slightly critical eye, “forreal though? Your blood pressure is elevated. Take a few deep breaths for me?”

Obliging without a fuss, Eden took a deep breath and then exhaled. She did it three more times before her friend was satisfied. Suddenly, Raelyn’s phone rang with life and she answered.

“Oh, Taehyung-ah,” she said, rising from her seat, “…yeah, I’m still at the hospital. But how did you know I’m with Eden? …you’re lying.”

Eden quirked a brow as Raelyn turned to look at her.

“You’re _all_ coming here right now?” She watched her face screw up into a look that she couldn’t quite place. “Look, I know you’re all worried but there’s no need for…wait, what?!”

This time it was Eden’s turn to frown.

“What the hell is going on?”

Raelyn held a finger up at her, signaling to give her a minute, before she turned and dashed out of the room suddenly. Eden stared at the door before scoffing, rolling her head and eyes in sync as she reached for her phone angrily.

“That woman, swear to fuckin’ God,” she muttered, swiping her thumb over her pin number to unlock her phone.

The distinct _ click _ of her phone unlocking brought up the apps on her phone. It echoed in time with the door unlatching, but she didn’t bother looking up – thinking it was Raelyn returning from her phone call.

“So, who’s coming to bother me and about what?” she asked, pulling up her work emails.

“You just can’t keep yourself out of trouble, can you?”

Her whole body froze, eyes still locked onto the phone screen. Eden tried to pretend that hearing his voice wouldn’t shake her to the core. Not anymore. But as she lifted her face to look at the door, she mentally cursed the EKG monitor taking note of her heartbeat increasing its tempo.

Yoongi stood in front of the door, dressed in a casual suit with his dark hair slicked back off his forehead. His face betrayed nothing. It never did. But it was his eyes that always gave him away. Eden saw the anger there, but she also knew that it wasn’t directed at her. Not this time. Her lips parted to say something but she found her mouth closing, not sure what she wanted to say.

Eden cleared her throat loudly, shrugging one shoulder before looking back down at her phone. “I can’t help that trouble likes to find me,” she said, her tone light, “it just can’t leave me alone. Like some clingy fuckin’ ex…”

A shadow loomed over her, but before she could shift away or even figure out what was happening, she felt Yoongi’s hand encircling her wrist as she gripped even tighter to her phone. His other hand rested at her hip on the bed while he pulled her hand up and out of her lap – forcing her to lift her head to face him; to lock eyes with him. She struggled against his hold, their faces just inches apart, and she could tell he was holding himself back while she _ also _ held back from headbutting him straight on.

“Goddammit, Eden,” he snapped, pulling her arm closer to him, “this isn’t a game!”

She grinned at him, feeling an angry vein pulsing around her neck. “I didn’t realize we were playing a game, Yoongi-ah.” Her tone was sickeningly sweet, her bicep growing taut as she tried to pull from his grasp. “Am I winning yet?”

“You talk about truth and lies,” Yoongi began, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to keep her arm in place, “and what good has the truth been for you, huh? Fucking _look at you_, Eden!”

“What _about_ it?”

“I may have lied, but I don’t remember you ever getting hurt because of it!”

Eden felt her eyes narrow sharply. “…what’d you say?”

“I kept you away from this shit for a reason and now you see why.”

“You guys are supposed to be legit now,” she said while rolling her eyes, “so I don’t see what the problem is.”

He scoffed. “Don’t play stupid, Eden. We’re barely able to walk after having crawled on the ground. It wasn’t going to be that easy. It _ isn’t _ going to be that easy. You know how this shit works better than most people.”

Yoongi released her hand and she yanked it upward, causing her phone to fly from her grasp. It landed on the ground with a loud clatter but neither of them moved to retrieve it. All they could do was stare at each other, the anger dancing around their eyes and sparking between them. Her heart monitor was beeping like a time bomb, but she didn’t care. She wanted to take the chords pressed to her chest and wring his damn neck with them.

Because he was _right_, and she fucking hated him for it.

The door flew open just as Yoongi got off the bed, making his way to where her phone had been discarded. Raelyn’s eyes were wide as she saw Yoongi. Looking between him and Eden, she frowned and snapped her fingers at him.

“You must have been a goddamn _ ninja _ in your past life, Min Yoongi,” she said as he dropped the phone into Eden’s lap, “or I’m going even _more_ fuckin’ blind these days.”

“It might be a little of both, Raelyn,” Yoongi replied casually, brushing past her and heading for the door. He paused, glancing over his shoulder to look at Eden, the sound of hurried footsteps echoing from the hall. “…I’m glad it wasn’t anything major, Eden.”

She sighed, averting her gaze from his as she crossed her legs on the bed. “…whatever, Yoongi-ah.”

Within seconds, she heard three sets of panting breaths and she looked up to see Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung attempting to squeeze into the doorway at the same time. Yoongi was already gone and she bit her lower lip, her brows knitting together as Jungkook forced his way ahead of the others. Raelyn must have sensed that she didn’t want to be bombarded with twenty questions. The older woman wasted no time ushering out everyone except Jungkook from her room. Jimin and Taehyung protested, but with a quick intake of breath and smack to their heads, they relented and allowed themselves to be shoved out.

Jungkook was immediately at her side, sliding into the chair that Raelyn previously occupied. He grasped her hand in his, his eyes darting over her entire form before resting on her arm that was draped in the sling. He frowned, his other hand moving to sweep some of her hair from her forehead. Eden unconsciously leaned her cheek into his palm.

“Jesus, Noona,” he said, his voice shaking slightly, “are you sure you’re okay?”

She chuckled. “I’m _fine_,” she said with a shrug, “you should have seen the other guys.”

“...did you really hide razor blades in your hair?”

“Damn straight I did!”

“I’m not sure if I should be afraid or impressed right now.”

Despite her attempt at making the situation light-hearted, she could see the heavy weight falling on Jungkook’s shoulders. Like he’d just realized something and wasn’t willing to speak it out loud. Eden felt her smirk fall, reaching out to flick him on the forehead. He reared back, rubbing at the sore spot with one hand as he groaned in protest.

“H-Hey! What was _that_ for?!”

“For trying to feel guilty about something that is out of your control,” she fired back, “it’s not anyone’s job to protect me around the clock and I can take care of my own damn self. So, don’t go trying to blame yourself for the shit that happened today.”

“Eden Noona…”

“I mean it.” Her eyes narrowed sharply at him. “Do it again and we’re done, got it?”

He didn’t look like he was satisfied with being given an ultimatum, but he had no real reason to go against her. It wasn’t like she was trying to be a bitch. She just didn’t want him worrying about unnecessary things. They were taking the necessary steps to do things the _right_ way. And if what Minhyuk said was true, then the Jade Fangs were going to do everything in their power to drag them down from greatness.

_ Like fuckin’ crabs in a barrel_, she thought bitterly.

Shifting over in the bed, she leaned over to one side of the bed to set her phone back down on the small nightstand. Eden patted the empty space beside her and Jungkook looked at her curiously. She gave him an annoyed expression, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

“These hospital pillows suck ass.”

The look of realization spread over Jungkook’s features and he shook his head, moving from the chair to climb into the bed beside her. Motioning for her to sit up, she did so and waited for him to settle back onto the pillows. When she felt his hand touching her opposite shoulder did she fall back gently onto his arm, nestling into the crook of his shoulder. His cheek rested on top of her head and he held her other hand against his chest. She took comfort in the feel of his heartbeat, but there was something gnawing at the back of her mind. For once, she was thankful for Jungkook wanting to remain silent for a little while longer – leaving her to her thoughts.

Eden tried to keep the frown from forming at the corners of her mouth, but it was proving fruitless. Because she couldn’t stop thinking about what Yoongi said. Because he wasn’t _ wrong_.

In the years she’d known him, nothing had actually ever _happened_ to her. Because he’d kept her away from all of that. If she chose to walk in the dark, it was only for a short while; never prolonging her stay than what was necessary.

But what was more disturbing was that the boys were now walking in the light. Someone in the Jade Fangs didn’t like that. They didn’t like it at all. And now they were letting them all know that they weren’t just going to sit idly by and watch them bask in the sunshine, leaving them to rot in the shadows alone.

_No_, she thought, trying to chase away the morbidity of what that suggested, _I’m just reading too much into this. Those guys are just a bunch of assholes._

Craning her neck to look up at Jungkook, she smiled when she saw him starting to drift off to sleep.

_…they’re not so weak to fall for their stupid little games._


	31. N.O

"Who do you think is the one who makes us step  
on even our close friends to climb up? What?"

“Check,” muttered Namjoon, his fingers leaving the Rook he’d slid up the board.

Shownu smirked, pressing a hand to his chin as his eyes scanned the board while pondering his next move.

The rain fell relentlessly, splashing along the pavement and roaring loudly. Even against the double paned glass, the noise was only barely muffled. Namjoon lifted his cup of coffee from the saucer, crossing one leg over the other as his eyes focused on Shownu’s expression. He continued to look at the board, his brows knit together in focus and refusing to let any outside noises or movements interfere from his thought process.

Exactly three months had passed since the two of them were together; alone. The few moments they brushed by one another was in passing and usually in the company of their bosses. In those instances, neither spoke a word to each other. Neither did their bosses. Their eyes, however, spoke volumes each time.

Shownu moved his Bishop in the path of Namjoon’s Rook, blocking the check. Namjoon set the cup down, eyeing the board as his opponent sat back in his chair. If he overtook his Bishop, his Rook would be devoured by Shownu’s Knight.

“Your warning,” he began, watching Shownu’s eyes rise to meet his, “does it mean you haven’t wrangled your boss like I suggested?”

He watched the older man smirk while giving a one shoulder shrug. “Ambition is a powerful thing, Namjoon-ah.” Shownu paused, placing a hand into his lap. “You should understand that fully.”

“There is also a thing called _restraint_, Hyung.” Namjoon reached forward for his teacup.

“Changkyun-ah’s offer wasn’t a bad one.”

His fingers paused just as they were about to loop through the cup’s handle. Slowly, his eyes rose to look back at Shownu whose smile remained. Namjoon chose to say nothing, however, waiting for him to continue.

“With your ambition alone, I wanted to believe you would convince Hoseok-ah to agree to the alliance.”

Namjoon’s hand fell to the surface of the table, resting just to the right of the wooden chess board. His brows furrowed as a few tendrils of his hair fell across the bridge of his nose. Shownu turned to look out the large window, watching the pedestrians running to cover their heads with what few items they had on their persons to shield themselves from the rain. Namjoon’s gaze was fixated on Shownu, watching as the man seemed to turn something over in his mind.

He may have been a lot of things, but Kim Namjoon was no fool. This conversation was the _ real _ chess game.

“Money and manpower? They only go so far. But respect?” Shownu smirked, craning his neck to look back at Namjoon. “Respect gains loyalty. _Loyalty_ equals power.”

“What Changkyun-ah wants is meaningless.” He saw Shownu’s smile falter for half a second. Namjoon decided to press it further. “He wants another war and it will result in absolutely nothing. My brothers and I chose this life as a means to an end. That end has come to pass.”

Shownu quirked a brow. “_Has it_ ended?”

Namjoon took the white knight piece, moving it forward to overtake a black pawn in the middle of the board. “What do you mean?”

There was a space of silence that unnerved Namjoon, his fingers lingering on the head of the knight as he looked across the board at Shownu. Glinting in his dark gaze was an expression he couldn’t read. But one thing was certain: it was clear Shownu knew something that Namjoon didn’t. That certainty made his spine shiver.

“Five years ago, the Golden Jackals established themselves as the rulers of Gangnam. The Jade Fangs were eyeing that district for a while, and yet it was clear you would not let anyone else have it. Your determination to destroy anything and everything, _ everyone_, who dared to stand in your way was apparent.” Shownu faced the window once more. “It was raining just as fiercely that night…”

Namjoon tried to figure out what he was trying to say, reading between the words. There was a deeper meaning there, a meaning he wasn’t saying out loud. Not completely.

_No_, he thought, frowning as his hand lifted from the chess piece, _he’s warning me about something. A subtle threat…_

He heard Shownu sigh, his arm lifting to rest on the back of his chair. He continued to look out the window while Namjoon, in turn, refused to take his eyes off his opponent.

“You willingly threw the keys to your kingdom away. You disbanded your soldiers and walked away from the protection of the shadows,” he heard the older man say. “Your once impregnable castle is falling apart from lack of care.”

Namjoon felt a lump form in his throat. However, Shownu shrugged and closed his eyes. Finally, he turned to look back at Namjoon, his smirk returning to his features as he slowly raised one brow.

“Stepping into the light has made locating your weaknesses that much easier.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened as he watched Shownu’s hand shoot out to grab the black Queen, sliding it up the board through Namjoon’s defenses. He slammed the piece down onto a white square, his smile growing. He looked down at the board, realizing seconds too late what happened.

“Checkmate, Namjoon-ah.”

Jumping from his chair, the legs scraped loudly across the floor. A few patrons of the café stared at them, wondering what happened. They’d kept their conversation quiet up until that point – hidden away from prying eyes.

His heart jack-hammered against his ribs, making it difficult to breathe. Namjoon’s hands curled into fists at his side and he watched Shownu stretch languidly against his chair. There was a smugness there that normally didn’t showcase itself on the older man’s face; not in all the years he’d known him. Namjoon missed something. Something small but obvious. Yet he’d still missed it. Both on the game board and in their conversation.

“…what have you people done, Hyung?”

Namjoon’s phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out, seeing Jungkook’s name appear on the screen. Not taking his eyes off Shownu, he answered.

“Jungkook-ah,” he said, attempting to keep his voice as even-tempered as he could, “what’s up?”

_“Hyung, where are you?”_

He frowned. It sounded like Jungkook was in a vehicle. “I’m in Sinchon. Why?”

_“It’s the Jade Fangs, Hyung. They…they attacked Eden Noona!”_

Namjoon’s eyes widened for half a second before narrowing them severely at Shownu. “…_ what? _” Though unintentional, it came out as a growl. “Where?”

_“In Sichon! She’s at the hospital with Raelyn Noona now.”_

Pivoting on his heels, he turned away from Shownu. “How badly is she hurt?”

He could hear Jungkook’s voice shaking, as if someone were trying to calm him down. _“I…I don’t know. Raelyn Noona just told us what happened and said to hurry to the hospital. She didn’t have time to tell us anything.”_

“Who is with you right now?”

_“Jimin and Tae Hyung. T-Tae Hyung is driving.”_

“Text me the hospital address. I’m on my way.”

Without waiting for Jungkook’s reply, he hung up and whirled around to face Shownu who was methodically putting the chess pieces away while folding up the board. Namjoon resisted the urge to lash out and cause a scene. However, he took a single step forward – enough to close the distance between them.

“Shownu Hyung,” he said through clenched teeth, “you just made a _ big _ mistake.”

“No, Namjoon-ah. _You_ did.” Shownu placed the board into the carrying bag he’d brought with him. Rising to his feet, he slid the bag strap over his shoulder. “You _all_ did.”

His hand snapped out, snatching Shownu by the lapel of his jacket. In response, he felt the other man’s hand encircling his wrist, his fingers and thumb pressing hard into Namjoon’s flesh. There was a pinprick of pain near the nerves at his palm, but he only acknowledged it with a twitch of his eye.

“You can’t erase the sins of the past. You can’t run or hide from it.” Namjoon attempted to pull his wrist free but Shownu held strong. “And neither can the people you’ve entangled in your lives.”

As if he were tossing off a piece of trash, Namjoon felt his hand being shoved off to the side. He glared at Shownu as the older man readjusted his jacket.

“Legality means _nothing_ if you don’t have the power to safeguard that which belongs to you.”

It was as though his very words had knocked the wind out of him. Namjoon had nothing to throw back at him. All he could do was watch as the Bear of the Jade Fangs casually walked out of the café without so much as a backward glance or a cluster of parting words. Even as he saw him unfurl his umbrella and step out onto the sidewalk, melding with the other civilian bodies, Namjoon couldn’t muster up the energy to chase after him.

He’d been careless. They’d _all_ been careless.

Falling into his chair, he stared blankly at the table’s surface. He barely noticed the money that was left on the table. He was knocked back into reality when he felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket.

Namjoon didn’t need to look at it to know that it was Jungkook.

He rose from his chair and ran outside, barely feeling the rain pelting his form while hailing a cab.

* * *

When Namjoon arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later, he saw Yoongi leaning against one of the pillars outside. A cigarette was perched between his lips, a long cylinder of ash barely hanging on before it fell at his feet. He’d hardly noticed Namjoon’s approach until he was standing directly in front of him. His brother let the cigarette fall from his mouth, landing ignored between them.

“N-Namjoon-ah,” Yoongi said, blinking slightly. Namjoon’s brows furrowed at the slightly dazed look on his face. It was like he was seeing him for the first time.

“Eden-ssi,” he began, seeing Yoongi’s shoulders tense up slightly, “how is she?”

There was a small measure of silence that wafted between them before Yoongi averted his eyes. “She’ll be fine. She just dislocated her shoulder.”

Namjoon let out a sigh of relief, stepping to the side to lean against the other side of the pillar with Yoongi. “That’s good.”

“No, it’s not.” He could hear the anger in his brother’s voice. “It’s not good at all.”

“Who was it?”

“The Jade Fangs.”

“I know, Hyung,” Namjoon replied calmly, “which one of them?”

“…Raelyn Noona said it was the Jindo Dog.”

Even though he couldn’t see him, Namjoon craned his neck to stare at the stone pillar. “Minhyuk Hyung?”

“Don’t call him that.” Yoongi’s tone held a finality to it that Namjoon rarely heard. “Did you let Hoseok-ah and Seokjin Hyung know what’s going on?

Biting his lower lip, he closed his eyes and rested his head along the pillar. “I told them on the way here.”

“Good.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The roar of the rain as it fell overhead seemed relentless. Unfortunately, it couldn’t silence the thoughts screaming inside of Namjoon’s head. It couldn’t silence Shownu’s blatant words against him; against _them_.

“They’re trying to make a point.”

Blinking rapidly, he took a step forward so he could better see Yoongi who was still pressed against the pillar. He’d absentmindedly lit another cigarette but wasn’t smoking it. The older man flicked his zippo lighter open, flinging it closed with a loud metallic clicking sound. Over and over he did this and Namjoon realized he couldn’t find the words to alleviate the rising anger that was clearly reflected in his older brother’s eyes.

“They’re telling us that we’re weak.”

“Hyung…”

“Namjoon-ah,” he heard Yoongi say, his voice cold and even as their eyes met, “it may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. But they’re going to do it.”

He slapped the lid to his lighter closed, the sound ringing out over the noise of the rain.

“…they’re going to declare war.”

“No, Hyung. They’re not _going to_.”

Namjoon’s voice was quiet, but Yoongi raised his brows to show he’d heard him.

“…they already have.”

The real question was apparent, but neither of them said it aloud.

_Are we going to let them get away with it?_


	32. Persona

"So I’m askin’ once again, yeah,  
who the hell am I?"

Eden’s dark curls were wet, falling across her neck and shoulders as she stepped out of the shower. Steam filled the small enclosure of her bathroom and she could feel the cold bite from the stone floor shoot up her ankles. Her olive skin glistened under the amber light fixture and she wrapped a towel around her body, half stumbling to the sink. The porcelain rattled under her as her hands slammed around the bowl of the sink and she muttered an expletive under her breath.

Steam coated the mirror, obscuring her reflection. Reaching out with one arm, her hand swept over the moisture to reveal the reflective glass on the other side. A wet streak formed, her own image looking back at her.

_ “In our world, it’s not so easy to step into the light. The world is a fickle place and treats scoundrels like us as little more than garbage.” _

She took slow, measured breaths – her shoulders slumping forward in a need to defy proper posture. A curtain of her raven hair – curly, wet and messy – draped over her right eye.

_ “He wants to know if what Hoseok-ah and the others are doing is genuine or just some big show to hide their true plans.” _

She scoffed, shifting away from the mockery of her image looking at her; forcing her to examine herself.

_ “And what it will take to drag them back into the shadows with the rest of us.” _

Eden spun on her heels, her back leg slipping on the wet stone floor. Her back arched and she pulled her right arm back with it, screaming at the top of her lungs. The mirror shattered when her fist made contact, spider cracks spreading from her knuckles. There was no pain that shot through her nerves, despite her fist trembling against the now broken mirror. Shards tumbled into the sink, smeared with tiny flecks of her blood that also stained the white porcelain.

Pulling her fist back, more mirror shards fell into the sink, but she ignored them. Instead, Eden yanked the towel off her body and began roughly drying her hair. Throwing the door open, warmth hit her from the heater fan she had in the main area of her apartment. She tossed the towel into the laundry hamper, picking up her flannel robe off the couch and slipping into it.

Just as she was tying the belt around her waist, there were a few hard knocks from her front door. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was just after 9pm. She thought about not answering it, seeing as she couldn’t tell whose reflection it was on the other side of the frosted glass. Eden scooped her phone off the coffee table and swiped her thumb over the screen. The lock screen was a selfie Jungkook and she took three weeks ago. There were a few missed calls and text messages; some from her friends, one from Jimin and the rest were from Jungkook.

A week had passed and her shoulder still ached...

Three more loud knocks rattled her front door on its hinges and she sighed, slipping into her house shoes and shuffling toward the door. She unlatched the deadbolt and wrenched the door open with the handle, looking up to see Jungkook on the other side. She couldn’t quite read his expression, but anyone could tell that he looked a little rattled.

“What?” she said, not bothering to conceal the bitterness in her voice.

For a moment, all they could do was stand there; motionless and silent. However, when she saw Jungkook’s gaze lower she instinctively slid it from the door and tried to place it into her pocket. His hand was quicker, and she felt his hand snatching at her wrist. Eden tried to wrench it free, but his grip was stronger. She didn’t want to start an argument, so her arm grew slack so he could pull her hand closer to inspect it.

Unexpectedly, Jungkook tugged her toward him roughly and her chest slammed into his. She grunted upon impact, her arms lifting in an awkward position as his larger ones encircled her – pulling her into an embrace she wasn’t prepared for.

“J-Jungkook-ah?” Eden’s voice shook slightly. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured into the juncture of her neck, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end.

She had no idea why he was apologizing and before she could ask why, he pulled her even closer into him, causing her to gasp. This was a hug of desperation and Eden was more unsettled by how easily she was able to identify this. It was the way a child would cling to a mother’s skirt so they wouldn’t get lost; the way a person dug their fingers into the side of a mountain – mustering all the strength they had to keep themselves from falling to their permanent end.

Eden felt his chest rise against hers as he took a deep breath, his hand pressing against the back of her head. Her neck grew rigid, forcing her chin up as she pressed up onto the balls of her feet to meet his height. Mixed in with his normal cologne, she could smell just a hint of soju. She sighed, reaching behind him so she could gently pat him on the back; like she was comforting a lost child.

“Jungkook-ah…” She smiled. “…you’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

“I’m sorry, Noona,” came his muffled voice and she had to smother the urge to laugh. “I’m such a fucking idiot!”

She shushed him, rubbing comforting circles on his back in an effort to get him to loosen his grip on her. When he finally did, Eden looked at his pitiful face and saw the tell-tale redness around his cheeks and nose. Pressing a hand to his forehead, she sighed and shook her head. He didn’t have a fever, but he was slightly warm from consuming alcohol.

Without thinking, she reached out with her injured hand and led him into the apartment. He kicked off his shoes like a petulant toddler while she fussed over him to put on some house shoes. When he did, he stumbled inside and she had to help him settle onto the couch without sprawling him out. After pulling off his jacket, Eden quickly made her way into her small kitchen to set a kettle on the stove. Once the water boiled, she poured it into a mug and then dropped a few tablespoons of honey into it. Stirring the mixture, she returned and handed him the steaming mug.

“Drink it slowly,” she instructed, settling onto the edge of her bed while watching him blow the steam away. “Why did you drink so much?”

For a minute, he didn’t say anything. Eden wouldn’t press him. He normally didn’t drink so much and that meant there was something weighing on his mind. Something he wasn’t willing to divulge just yet. Eden couldn’t blame him, though. She’d considered opening the bottle of whiskey she had in the kitchen after her little episode in the bathroom.

“What happened to your hand?”

She hadn’t expected to have her question answered with a question. Eden tried to hide her hand again, but Jungkook was still faster. He held it between them, and he frowned when he noticed the cuts on her knuckles – his cool hands soothing the inflamed skin. His thumb stroked over the broken skin and she winced slightly. Jungkook took two large gulps of the honey water mixture, set it down on the coffee table, and pulled Eden from the bed by her hand. He led her into the bathroom and she tried to resist him, not wanting him to see the results of her temper tantrum in the bathroom.

He gently pulled her along despite her bracing trying to tug away from him. They finally went into the bathroom and she felt the fight leave her, embarrassment setting in instead.

Jungkook appeared not to notice the damage she caused. Or he at least wasn’t voicing it out loud. Grabbing a face towel, he reached into the sink and scooped out the shards of glass – throwing them away without a second glance. He turned on the faucet and held her hand under the lukewarm flow. Again, she winced and tried to pull her hand back. He waited until the blood was cleaned from her skin, opening the medicine cabinet that doubled as her mirror. Nothing was said about the ruined mirror and he took an alcohol wipe, swabbing it over her damaged hand and she hissed.

Silently he worked, disinfecting her injury and then wrapping it with some gauze. She was out of band-aids.

Eden turned to head out of the bathroom, but Jungkook closed the door. Rounding on him to yell about how she’d almost run into the door, her protests vanished when his hands slammed on either side of her head. Swallowing hard, Eden pressed her back to the door. If he held the door like that, there was no way she could open it and she wasn’t about to tussle with him in her already cramped bathroom.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

She felt the back of her head pressing into the door as he leaned in close, their noses barely touching.

Jungkook took a deep breath, as if he was wrangling with something, and then exhaled through his nostrils.

“Why won’t you let me in?”

Eden’s eyes widened, followed by her blinking rapidly. “What?”

What did that even mean?

His eyes narrowed and she bit her lower lip.

“Why do you keep pushing me _ away_, Noona?”

“What are you talking about?!”

She couldn’t help her voice rising an octave. Jungkook had been following her for over a year since they met, relentlessly pursuing her, and she was even taking a chance on him. They were dating weren’t they? She didn’t care that he was a gangster, or even a _ former _ gangster at this point. His status as an orphan meant nothing to her. He was over her house all the time, at all hours of the day when he wasn’t working and aggravating her in Tekken matches.

How in the _ hell _ was she pushing him away?!

Cool fingers caressed her temple, causing her to jump slightly. She hadn’t expected the sudden gesture and it forced Jungkook’s movements to a halt. When her eyes met his, Eden was startled to see the pained expression painted over his features. Was he still drunk? She didn’t know what was happening…

His hand slid from her face, trailing down the fabric of her robe that covered her arm, and he clasped her uninjured hand in his. Eden wished she could read his mind, to figure out what was making him feel this way. She felt a measure of guilt at knowing that she was the source of whatever suffering he was trying to smother out of himself.

Jungkook pressed her hand along his chest, feeling the heavy drumming of his heartbeat against her palm. Eden sucked in a slow breath as her eyes searched his dark brown ones. He never let his gaze rove from hers; like he was trying to look straight into her soul. It didn’t take her long to realize that her own pulse was matching his; completely in sync with each other.

She was only able to whisper his name once – a breathy sigh as his mouth captured hers. Her eyes slowly closed, drinking in his scent as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The flat of her palm slid down between his shoulder blades, her nails gently pressing into his back through his shirt. Jungkook’s hands moved over her body, making the heat rise inside her body as he lifted her into his arms effortlessly. The kiss was only deepened through the movement and she tightened her legs around his waist while he supported her with his strong arms. A burst of cool air brushed along her bare legs as he pulled the door to the bathroom open, carrying her the short distance to her bed.

Eden was going to go crazy. She was losing her mind from all the sensations her body was being put through. She wanted to fall against him – to get lost in his eyes as he overtook her with every single bit of raw passion that was contained within them. Eden heard her name falling from his lips, and as she pulled back, she gently touched the swollen buds as she bit her bottom lip at the corner; her breathing heavy as her chest rose and fell slowly.

He set her down on the bed gently, her robe barely covering her as he clambered onto the bed slowly – looking every bit like a tiger on the hunt.

Jungkook towered over her, his arms braced on either side of her shoulders, and Eden could only look up at him. He’d always been stubborn, but this was a new level. He was worried about something; wanting to tell her something but he was still holding back. Even now.

And this hurt her. It hurt her because she was holding herself back too.

She could make up all the excuses in the world, but it was true. Jungkook had seen it. She really _ was _ keeping him away – refusing to let him in fully. 

“Noona,” Jungkook managed to croak, “please let me in. I’m tired of looking from the outside in…”

His voice was thick with yearning. It made her heart twist inside her chest. Her vision blurred momentarily, and she quickly covered her face with her hands, blocking out his painful expression.

She felt his hand on top of hers, pulling them away so she was forced to up at him; at his gentle smile. Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes and Eden smiled. She cupped his face in her hands, leaning forward to kiss him hard on the lips and slipping her tongue in between them as she felt the muscle rake slowly against his fangs - a slow intake of breath filling her lungs as she smelled him. His scent was still the same - even after all this time they’d spent together. Spring rain with a hint of spice. She could’ve died in his arms right now.

After taking the time to greedily consume his mouth as he had hers, Eden pulled back and moved her eyes back from one of his orbs to the other. Her dark hair fell in a jet curtain of curls that covered half her face. “I…I’m sorry, Jungkook-ah. I didn’t know you felt that way after all this time. But I should have…because I know what you’re worried about.” She paused, watching his smile fall slightly. “I’m okay. I’m going _ to be _ okay. _ We _ are going to be okay if you trust me. Trust that I’m not going to abandon you when things get hard.”

She watched Jungkook swallow the lump that began to form in his throat. Not wanting her own resolve to waver, Eden brushed his bangs off his forehead – her fingers tracing the line of his brow.

“You exist here, in my head and in my heart,” she said softly, moving her hand to each place while attempting to calm her heart; albeit in vain. “I’m tired of worrying about my past or even what tomorrow will bring for any of us. Aren’t you tired of it?”

His brows furrowed. “Noona…”

Eden smiled up at him. “As long as we’re together, then I know I can take on anything anyone tries to throw at me. Dislocated limbs, busted lips, threats, whatever the fuck they try to push at me? I can take it.”

“I can’t see you get hurt, Noona. I don’t know what I’d do—”

“You can’t protect me all the time, Jungkook-ah,” she interjected, seeing fear simmer in his gaze, “and that’s okay. You’re not supposed to. I’ve spent my whole life taking care of _ my life _ and until you guys can get your shit together, I’ll keep doing that.” She paused as he pressed a hand against her cheek. “I’ll keep doing it until I don’t have to anymore.”

Jungkook frowned, closing his eyes and leaning forward so he could press his forehead against hers. Her eyes fluttered closed in response and she felt his breath across her cheeks as he sighed.

“…this will always be what I want, Noona,” he finally spoke, his voice dropping an octave and coated with emotion, “it’s what I’ve always wanted.” He lifted his head off hers which had her opening her eyes to look back at him. “If you can let yourself go with me, if you can stay with me, then I won’t regret anything. You drive me crazy and you’re one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met…” Eden rolled her eyes and he chuckled. “If you trust me, then that’s all I could ask for. I won’t break that trust, Noona. I don’t think I could live with myself if I were to let that happen.”

He leaned forward, his lips pressing against her ear as he softly breathed against the lobe. Her arms snaked over his shoulders to grasp at the fabric of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head so that his skin was exposed.

“…can I be selfish, Noona? Can I ask you to love me with everything that you are?”

Jungkook slid one hand down to rest at the folds of her robe, slipping further down to loosen the belt that held the material to her form.

“Can we fall into each other until there’s nothing left of us?”

Jungkook kissed her ear, then nipped it before he fully tugged the belt loose and pushed the folds of the robe off to the side to expose her naked form beneath. His hands moved across her skin, the heat radiating both from her own body and his as she pulled him into another kiss – the desperate need to feel his body against hers almost maddening. She nodded, knowing that this moment was what mattered the most. Nothing else.

There was no going back now. Eden was done looking over her shoulder at what was. She was done looking too far ahead at what could be.

She would live in the here and now with no regrets.


	33. Waste It On Me

_ _

"And I know there's no making this right,  
And I know there's no changing your mind..."

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

The bigger you are, the harder you fall.

Jimin was aware of this saying and held it close to his heart more often than most. It was his way of maintaining a sense of humility. He tried to impart humble actions to others, remaining as sincere as he could and as it was allowed. Praying and fighting. Fighting and praying. It was a daily routine for him for the last ten years.

But now it was over and while he wasn’t suffering from a lack of purpose, there were other things that troubled his mind. Seemingly insignificant to some and very important to others. Jimin worried below the surface, attempting to hold onto a sense of calm despite the chaos that always seemed to erupt around them. Rain or shine, snow or a hurricane; none of it mattered. Because they’d overcome worse in their lives and this new path they walked would be no different.

Seeing Eden in the hospital – _ hearing _ that the Jade Fangs were the ones responsible – ignited something new inside of Jimin. A feeling he wasn’t aware that he could feel. One that he never knew simmered deep within the dark recesses of his own heart.

It was anger.

The feeling shocked him at first; the realization even more. Jimin couldn’t think of a time outside of his elementary years where he got angry. Annoyed? Of course. Irritated? Absolutely. But _ never _ anger.

Not until he’d seen Eden’s arm in a sling.

His eyes narrowed as he paid the cab driver. _The bigger you are, the harder you fall…_

Stepping out of the cab, he closed the door behind him and approached the Cha Gangnam Medical Center. The sliding glass doors automatically pushed open, granting him entrance to the main lobby. He looked around, smiling politely to the receptionist as she waved at him. Brushing his bangs off his forehead, he looked around to see if Raelyn was around. Not long after he shuffled in, she came around a corridor and stopped short upon seeing him.

For a moment, neither of them could say anything. Jimin watched her press her clipboard to her chest, the two of them sighing in tandem with each other. Raelyn did her best to put on a smile that he probably assumed she thought was believable.

It wasn’t.

“Jimin-ah,” she called softly, her voice almost lost in the noise of the lobby, “what are you doing here?”

She crossed over to him and he smiled at her. “I was just coming by to check on you.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. “Are you about to go on break?”

Raelyn looked at her watch, then nodded. “Sure, I can go on break now. Follow me.”

The two of them walked side by side as they made their way down the hall. Several orderlies and nurses greeted Raelyn, as well as a few doctors who were wrapping up their shifts. They rounded two corners and she paused in front of a room, pushing the door open and peering inside. Her shoulders seemed to visibly relax before turning to look at him while fully pressing the door wide.

“It’s just us. Come in.” Jimin followed her and Raelyn stood in front of one of the vending machines. “Coffee?”

“Sure.”

Pressing the button for two hot canned coffees, the machine dispensed the items and Jimin thanked her for the drink. They took their seats at a small round table near the back of the break room where they could talk. However, instead of talking, they opened the coffees and said nothing. Jimin wasn’t sure what was weighing so heavily on Raelyn’s mind, but he had a pretty good idea. The difficult part was broaching the subject in a way that wouldn’t set her off or, worse, cause her to build a wall even higher around her feelings.

“Noona?” She lifted her face to look at him and he could see her eyes shaking, as if Raelyn already knew why he was there. “Can I ask you something?”

Raelyn tried to put on a brave face, her fingers wrapping around the can of coffee. “Sure, Jimin-ah. What is it?”

He took a breath, pressed his lips together in a thin line, before releasing a puff of air from his mouth. “…is your freedom still important to you?”

There was a slight _tink_ of sound as her nails scraped along the aluminum.

She scoffed, trying to brush off his question. “Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”

“Because your reason for ending things with Hoseok Hyung stemmed from the world we lived in; the cloak of shadows that we wore.” Jimin laced his fingers together as he rested his hands on the table. Raelyn’s façade faltered. “We’re not in the shadows anymore, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who will do whatever it takes to drag us back. We are working to continue our path of success and to do it the legal way.” His eyes narrowed slowly. “And you’ve been actively seeing Taehyung-ah, knowing that people are still trying to grab at our ankles.”

Raelyn frowned this time. “What are you getting at, Jimin-ah?”

“It’s only going to get worse before it gets better.”

His tone was flat and his expression matched. Raelyn’s eyes widened, her brows raising simultaneously. Her hands slid from the can to the table and Jimin lifted his coffee to his lips. He knew how intelligent Raelyn was and so it wouldn’t take her long to figure out where he was headed with this conversation.

“Do you remember what those days were like back then, Noona?” He didn’t tear his gaze from hers. “I know you do.”

“Park Jimin, you—”

“I hope you’re prepared, because now that we’re walking the legal path, there’s no stopping what the others are planning to do. You’ve already seen for yourself what they’re capable of. What lines they’re willing to cross. We can’t just beat them back with chains, whips and knives. Not like before. Not anymore.”

This was the path they were striving to walk on. It was the way they wanted to continue living their lives from now on. Jimin didn’t have to ask his older brothers what was making them feel so uneasy. The bridge they were crossing was rickety. There was no guarantee they’d be able to make it to the other side before burning it behind them – preventing anyone else from breathing down their necks. Ten years of hard work could potentially incinerate in the palm of their hands. Determined to walk the righteous path, to bathe in the sunlight, meant giving up the tools they used when shrouded in darkness.

Money could only do so much. But what it could _not do_ was buy loyalty.

It finally seemed to click for Raelyn, the realization of what Jimin was attempting to get through to her apparent now on her face. But he also knew that if she valued her freedom as much as she claimed, then now was the time for her to make a choice. There would not be another opportunity for her to backtrack. This was the only way out that he could present to her.

“Noona,” he called, his voice gentle and a touch warmer than it had been earlier. She sensed it immediately. “If you’re serious about Taehyung, about _any_ of us, then I won’t interfere, and I will respect your wishes. We prepared for a lot of things, but we didn’t prepare for anyone to try and _stop us_ from leaving.” He sighed, turning his head slightly to avert his gaze. “What they did to Eden Noona? I’m sure it’s just the beginning. They’re trying to make a point.”

“W-What point?” Raelyn’s voice shook only slightly, but he could hear the hint of anger tacked on at the end. “What do they think they’re gonna accomplish by fucking around with our lives?”

Jimin had a few ideas, but he wasn’t willing to voice them. Not out loud. Not yet.

“They’re trying to tell us we can’t keep anything we care about safe.” He craned his neck to look back at her. “Not anymore.”

He watched Raelyn sink back into her chair, as if someone had taken all the wind out of her sails and left her stranded out at sea.

Jimin rose from his chair, taking the can of coffee with him. He slid one hand into his pocket, pivoting on his heel as he turned toward the door. He paused, casting a sidelong glance over his shoulder to look back at her. Raelyn was still staring at the table blankly, trying to process what he’d just said.

“If your freedom is still important to you, then you need to push us away. _All_ of us. For your sake more than ours.”

She blinked rapidly, turning to look at him as though she was seeing him for the first time all day. No, for the first time since she’d known him. Jimin offered her a soft smile instead. One she would recognize and hopefully take comfort in.

“Take care, Raelyn Noona.”

He bowed his head toward her and turned to head out the door. He didn’t look back as he was worried about what his warning meant to her. Would she take it to heart, or would she remain steadfast at their sides?

_Will she make the same choice that Eden Noona has?_

* * *

_Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
South Korea_

The drive back to the house was quiet. The taxi driver must have sensed that Jimin had a lot on his mind and left him to his thoughts in the backseat. As traffic melded on the streets, many lights blossomed and painted the windows and streets of Seoul bright colors. Jimin heard pedestrians milling around, some holding conversations that were loud enough for him to hear through the window. He tuned most of it out, however, his own concerns going off like air horns in his brain.

Soon, everything passed by in a blur of colorful lines.

When Jimin walked through the main entryway of the home he shared with his brothers, he felt more exhausted than normal. Like he’d been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He announced himself, kicking off his dress shoes and loosening his tie before sliding into his house slippers.

A set of feet shuffled in and he turned to see it was Yoongi, a glass of scotch in his hand. “Just you?” He took a moment to peer over Jimin’s shoulder, as if someone had followed him. “The others?”

Jimin pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw texts from both Jungkook and Taehyung; one saying they’d be home late and the other saying they’d be home tomorrow. “Seokjin Hyung is still at the office with Anastasia Noona. He sent me home early. Namjoon Hyung and Hoseok Hyung are at a business meeting at the hotel.” He peered at Yoongi curiously. “You’re home early.”

Yoongi hummed in response as he took a sip of scotch. “Investors from overseas flew in so I saw to their needs. The official business meeting will be tomorrow. Hoseok-ah wanted to give them a chance to rest before going over paperwork.” He turned to head into the kitchen and Jimin followed after him. “What about the other kids?”

Jimin sat at the kitchen island, watching as Yoongi began pouring him a drink. He waited until the glass was set on a coaster in front of him before speaking. “Taehyung-ah is going to be late.” Reaching for the glass, he ignored the tinkling sound it made when his rings knocked against it.

Yoongi sidled up next to him, raising his glass so they could tap them together in a silent ‘cheers’ fashion. “Jungkook?”

The glass hovered near Jimin’s lips, not sure if he wanted to give him the answer. But he also knew he had no _real reason_ not to. “He said he’s coming back in the morning.”

He saw Yoongi’s expression darken and Jimin sighed, not wanting to get into this conversation at all. But when he remembered what Eden said to him that day at church, as well as Jungkook’s own concerns, he knew he couldn’t avoid it. Jimin was also curious about something and the only way he would get the answers was by asking the person who’d hurt Eden the most.

“Yoongi Hyung?”

Yoongi shook his head, setting the glass down on the coaster and he tried to throw a casual smirk to Jimin. He wasn’t fooling anyone. _Him_ least of all.

“Hm, what is it, Jimin-ah?”

“I know why you did that to Eden Noona.” Jimin stared into his glass, refusing to meet Yoongi’s gaze. “I get it more than you probably think I do.” A sad smirk passed over his features. “You were trying to keep her safe in your own way. I’m sure she’ll understand that someday, if she doesn’t already.”

Yoongi laughed but the tone was off; bitter and cold. “It doesn’t matter. She has Jungkook looking after her now.”

“Noona can take care of herself, you should know that.” Jimin continued staring into the glass, the pads of his fingers pressing into its cold surface. “You regret it, don’t you Hyung?” He turned his head to see Yoongi glaring down at the marble counter top. “You regret not trusting her.”

Yoongi blinked, his head moving slowly to look back at Jimin with confusion in his eyes. “What?”

“You didn’t let her into our world because you were afraid she’d get fed up with it. Not hurt by it.” Jimin paused, watching Yoongi’s eyes narrow. “Eden Noona is strong, you’ve seen that for yourself, Hyung. Her environmental safety wasn’t what you were worried about.”

“Ya, Park Jimin,” said Yoongi quietly, the warning clear.

Jimin had no plans to heed it.

“What you were actually scared of was Noona seeing the _real_ you, weren’t you?” Jimin frowned. “You couldn’t trust her to stay with you when she found out. But now you see that isn’t the case, because she’s with our younger brother now, in spite of everything.”

Yoongi’s fist slammed into the marble, causing their glasses to rattle. The sudden action didn’t even make Jimin flinch. Instead, he placed a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder. The two of them said nothing and it wasn’t until Jimin gave it a reassuring squeeze did he let out a sigh.

“You’re scared she’s going to get hurt for real this time. And it won’t be by any of us.”

He watched Yoongi drain his glass and set it back on the table. “This is just the beginning. Those bastards have barely started scratching the surface.” Yoongi placed a hand on his forehead, turning to look at Jimin and his eyes looked more tired than they had just a few minutes ago. “…but you’re right, Jimin-ah. I’m scared. I’m scared of what they’re planning to do next.”

Jimin nodded, his hand sliding off Yoongi’s shoulder to return to the counter top. The two of them held their glasses; one empty and the other untouched.

“Me too, Hyung.” There was a heaviness in Jimin’s voice that he hadn’t meant to let slip. But it was too late to take it back and there wasn’t really a point to it. “…I’m scared too.”


	34. Tomorrow

_ _

"I hope tomorrow will  
be different from today..."

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

Occasionally there were things better left unsaid in life. This applied to every soul that could be counted, especially among people. Never tell the woman you were seeing that her ass looked fat despite how many times she asked. Never mouth off to someone who could kick the shit out of anyone who dared to cross them without batting an eyelash. Never reveal bedroom secrets to someone who had their eye keenly on someone else’s bedroom partner.

Yes, some things were better left unsaid and sometimes there were simply no words for what a person may have wanted to say. Keeping lips sealed was often for the best.

Jungkook kept his lips zip-lock tight the day Eden came home from work. She had “the look” on her face – the one that practically _ screamed _ ‘I’m deep in thought so don’t fucking disturb me’. He’d been waiting on her for nearly an hour, wanting to surprise her since he finished work early for the day. 

He wordlessly tried to take the groceries from her, but she refused. Instead, she insisted that he reach into her coat pocket for her keys. When he did, however, he was surprised to see that it wasn’t the set of keys he was used to seeing. The brass key was replaced with a stainless steel one and attached to it was a single keychain with a cartoonish looking puppy on it – its expression reminiscent of one of the faces Jungkook often made when he was pouting.

She waited for him to open the door, but the shock was too much. The meaning behind it was way more for him to process at that moment. When Eden shouted at him to open the door, he nervously slid the key into the lock and almost broke it in the jam. Finally, he opened it and quickly took the groceries from her, shuffling inside and almost tripping out of his shoes. She laughed when he tried to give the key back to her, brushing past him to head into the kitchen. Jungkook smiled, putting the key into his pocket. 

Neither of them said anything as they pushed around in the cramped kitchen, trying to put things up without getting in each other’s way. They were mostly successful and when he tried to grab her hand, Eden ignored him and started stripping out of her street clothes while fumbling for her shower things. Jungkook couldn’t keep the goofy smile off his face when he noticed her rosy cheeks, laughing and grabbing for her. He spun her around until he felt he might be sick. He kissed her hard, refusing to allow her to make it to the shower. Not before he made love to her on the floor.

Twice.

When he’d thoroughly worn her out, he laughed and rubbed at his sore shoulder from the punch he’d received from her. But it was worth it. So fucking worth it.

After they showered, Eden shuffled around in the kitchen and made dinner. Nothing fancy. Just a large pot of ramen with some chicken _mandu_ thrown into it as an afterthought. For a moment, all Jungkook could do was stare at her; considering every movement and drinking in her presence. He loved the way she was in that moment: hair disheveled and loosely wavy, her clothes clean but torn and askew – as if she’d fumbled from the bed and walked into a thrift store to pick out her threads at random.

When they finished, he offered to do the dishes, but she insisted on doing them herself. Eden’s bare feet shuffled around on the polished wooden floor and every so often he could see the tattoo on her left thigh peeking out from under the hem of the extra-large shirt she wore. There was no way to explain why it was sexy, it just was.

_Moo Shin,_ he thought, reading the hangul tattoo, _Heaven’s warrior._

“I’m going out to smoke,” she said while drying her hands with a kitchen towel. She grabbed both her pack of cigarettes and lighter off the counter, shoving them into her pocket.

Jungkook stood up, grabbing one of the large fleece throw blankets off the couch and followed her. The nights were still a bit chilly, even heading into Spring, and he didn’t want her getting sick. Her hair was still wet.

She sat down on the perch of the roof, knees curled up to her chest, before lifting the lighter up to her cigarette. Jungkook took a seat behind her, wrapping the blanket around them both, before curling her close against his body. She was struggling with the lighter and he reached out, taking it from her and igniting it smoothly with one flick of his thumb. Waiting for her to inhale her first drag of pleasure, Jungkook moved to rest his chin on her left shoulder. Eden turned her head slightly to keep the smoke from his eyes and he smiled. While he often nagged her to quit smoking, he appreciated the little things she did to keep it from bothering him. Not that it did, but he never actually told her that.

“Jungkook-ah,” came her voice, gruff but the tone was soft, “do you want to keep living in the city?”

Smoke pillowed from her nostrils and he felt his left brow quirk slightly, his thumb pressing into her skin as it rolled under her shirt. He didn’t say anything. It was a question that was slightly jarring, and he took comfort in her warmth and scent in order to get his bearings.

It wasn’t like the thought hadn’t occurred to him before. City life was exciting, sure, and there were merits to living in the city. But there were days when he dreamed about returning to Hwaseong. It was country enough that he could see the stars and enjoy them, but small town enough that he wasn’t struggling or yearning for modern conveniences that made life easier.

Shifting while pulling her closer against him, Jungkook urged her silently to turn her body so that her legs were resting on the safer side of the roof’s perch. Eden looked up at him, cigarette poking out from between her lips while raising her brows curiously at him. His hands moved so he could cup her cheeks inside his palms. 

“If you want to stay, then I want to stay. If you want to go, then I’ll go with you.”

He watched Eden’s eyes widen slightly, clearly surprised by his answer. It was a simple one. Jungkook knew she was successful enough to pick up her business and move it wherever she wanted. If she struggled financially with that kind of move, then Jungkook knew he could pick up the slack. His brothers spent the better part of a decade making sure that he never had to spend his money unnecessarily.

“So honestly, Noona, that’s a question I should be asking _ you _,” he said softly, smiling down at her.

“Jungkook…”

“I’ve been alone for most of my life. Until I met my brothers, I didn’t have anyone. My parents didn’t want me, and I’ve always had to fend for myself. I moved to Seoul because that’s what the others wanted.” His smile fell a fraction and he felt his brows furrow. “…because I didn’t want to be alone.”

He shifted slightly, meeting her gaze, and Jungkook could feel his heart slamming viciously against his chest. Her eyes reflected the night sky, the amber colors of the streetlights giving them an ethereal umber glow. He reached out to grab her cigarette, disregarding it with a toss. She could yell at him after, but right now, at that moment, Jungkook wanted to kiss her and it was in the way. His kiss was not gentle, but possessive and borderline desperate as he claimed her mouth with lips, teeth, and tongue.

He didn’t want to share with her how much all of this meant to him. Not yet. It was still too new. Too fragile. It could be taken away before it truly began. Jungkook never wanted to be able to love her more than in the moment she’d first opened her heart to him, offering to simply be together in the here and now. To _ trust _ one another.

How could he tell her that? How could he tell her that he wanted to love her but also wanted to keep her for himself? Jungkook knew how independent she was and how determined she was to continue walking the path she chose for herself.

Would she allow him to walk beside her beyond the present? Beyond tomorrow?

Jungkook couldn’t help but dread every tomorrow that would pass.

Growling softly, he pulled back – sucking her lower lip in the process and releasing it only after he nipped it red and swollen. She breathed softly over his cheeks, smelling like spearmint and nicotine, and he grinned. Eden drove him to the brink. He’d said it before and felt there wasn’t a need to say it again. Instead, Jungkook drug one heavy palm down her side and pressed it between her thighs, flicking his wrist so that he was firmly holding the area he wanted to violate. She did this to him. Made his brain turn to shit and amped his body up for a lot of _"mine"_ fucking. No one could blame him for it.

“This is your fault,” he muttered while grinning, leaning forward so that his mouth brushed lightly against her own, “you should take responsibility.”

He pressed his palm against her again, waiting for that soft little gasp that he loved to hear. He knew she would tell him no, but getting a rise out of her was almost as sweet as getting the green light. And when she said no and finished smoking her cigarette, they would go back inside to finish _ Empress Ki _ while cuddled up together on the bed. She would be revved up and distracted with wanting him, feigning sleepiness just to be mean.

But Jungkook knew she wouldn’t be able to take it anymore. She’d pounce and when she did, he would claim every inch of her until she was well spent. And as Eden slept for real, he would whisper to her how he really felt. About how much he loved her, how much she felt like home, and how he wanted to build something meaningful with her beyond tomorrow.

Nothing would be held back.

* * *

_ Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District  
South Korea_

The city was so loud.

There wasn’t a single instance of silence that could be had. Especially at night. Jungkook hated the city at night. The stars couldn’t be seen and there was so much white noise from the jumbled conversations that muffled around on the streets in conjunction with the ambient sounds from the city.

The parks in the city, thankfully, were a little bit quieter. Jungkook could tolerate the murmured sounds of metropolitan activity when surrounded by trees and nature trails. He sat down on a bench under one of the cherry trees. In a few months, the petals would be a soft pink. Dozens upon dozens of tourists came to take photographs while the locals simply enjoyed the landscape. A sign that winter was finally ending soon.

The bitter chill of everything dying would have renewed vigor knowing that a warm breath of life would follow suit.

“There’s at least one good thing about all of this,” said a voice nearby.

Jungkook lifted his head, peering into the face of Lee Jooheon. He flashed him his trademark dimpled smirk and Jungkook gave a half-scoff in response. Raising one brow, he watched Jooheon plop down onto the bench beside him.

“Oh yeah,” he asked, both of them leaning back in tandem, “what’s that?”

“I don’t have to fuck you up for wandering into our turf.”

“Fuck off,” Jungkook said dismissively, “you’re the one who told me to meet you here in the first place.”

“I know,” Jooheon replied simply, shrugging one shoulder as he rested one arm along the back of the bench, “but that’s because you aren’t some chicken shit. I knew you’d come.” He turned to peek at Jungkook. “You would have come even if you were still a Golden Jackal.”

Jungkook felt his lips press together in a thin line. “I’m _ still _ a Golden Jackal, Joo Hyung,” he said, tone even, “that hasn’t changed.”

Jooheon raised a brow at him. “Oh yeah?” He laughed. “Well, that makes _one_of you.”

“What the hell does _that_ mean?”

“It means that you’re all a bunch of toothless mutts now.”

Jungkook’s arm shot forward, fist curled and aimed to strike. Knuckles smashed into knuckles as Jooheon’s own fist collided with his. Nerves twitched as the two of them pressed their own weight against the other, bodies shifted toward one another. Jooheon’s smirk still held but Jungkook was far from amused, their arms trembling from the amount of force pressing against each other.

“I guess you’re still the _Steel Claw_ after all,” he said, almost laughing.

Nothing about this amused Jungkook at all. “You’re lucky I don’t rip your spine out for what you did to Eden.”

Jooheon pouted, adding an extra bit of force behind his knuckles to push Jungkook’s arm back a bit. “Hey, I wasn’t the one who did it. That was Minhyuk Hyung.”

“Don’t fucking play word games with me, _Yellow Jacket_.” The honorific was dropped, replaced with his alias. Jooheon’s expression changed from a playful pout to an actual frown. “As far as I’m concerned, you Jade Fangs are all one and the same.”

Both Jooheon and Jungkook thrust their arms out, breaking the connection and effectively ending the mini strength match they were having. While Jungkook brushed his hair out of his eyes, Jooheon frowned and shook his hand a few times. When he stood, Jungkook followed suit and the two of them remained just a couple of feet away from each other. They continued to stare, not wanting to give off any sign of weakness. They may have dissolved the group, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t still carry himself like a Golden Jackal.

Jooheon could see that now.

Scoffing, Jooheon pivoted on his heels while stuffing his hands into his pockets. Jungkook relaxed a bit, but immediately felt his spine go rigid when his old friend turned around to look back at him.

“Changkyun-ah was serious when he gave that offer to Hoseok Hyung,” he said, craning his neck to face the sky, “and if you guys aren’t going to come back, there’s a chance you’ll try to interfere.”

“Interfere _with what_, Jooheon?”

“Some advice? You all should leave this city.”

Jungkook narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Jooheon lowered his head, his gaze shifting back to look at him.

“Leave, Jungkook-ah, while we still just consider you eyesores.”

“Ha!” Jungkook half laughed, half scoffed – a single brow raising in question. “Yeah, right.”

This time it was Jooheon who narrowed his eyes. “I’m serious.”

“And why should we?” Jungkook slowly folded his arms across his chest. “Why the hell should I even listen to you?”

“Because whether you remember it or not, we were friends once, Jungkook-ah. If you don’t want to be part of this anymore, I’d rather you not get swept up in the shit-storm that is brewing. And trust me when I tell you that it _ is _ coming.”

Jungkook watched Jooheon turn and began walking away, holding one hand up in farewell.

“Consider it a parting gift from an old friend, Jeon Jungkook. Whatever happens after this, just know it isn’t personal.”

He waited until he could no longer see Jooheon before finally falling back onto the bench. Even though he hadn’t done it, Jungkook felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He heard from Namjoon Hyung that a deal was placed on the table in front of Hoseok Hyung, but he didn’t take it. He refused to let their goals be obscured or smeared over someone else’s ambitions.

Pulling out his phone, he looked at the lock screen to spy the time. Instead of paying attention to the actual time, he focused on the picture he took with Eden. They were both smiling. She’d been obstinate about not wanting to take the picture until his own stubbornness had her relenting. It was the first time he got her to smile freely.

His brows knit together harshly as his grip on the phone tightened.

_…did we make a mistake?_


	35. Epiphany

_ _

“Underneath the smiling mask,  
my true self is coming out.”

_ Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea _

Anastasia groaned when she felt someone tugging at her shoulder, attempting to rouse her from her drunken slumber. Her body swayed back and forth and she swatted at the hand pulling her. Her hand fumbled around for the covers and she attempted to yank them up and over her head. Solace was given to her for a moment and she hummed in sleepy contentment.

However, her victory was short-lived when the blanket was completely ripped from her body, exposing her to the open air. Flailing like a toddler throwing a tantrum, Anastasia flopped onto her back and then sprung up into a sitting position. Her dirty blonde hair was messy and tangled but she didn’t care. Instead, she glared up at the person who was destroying her sweet slumber.

“Ana,” Raelyn said while shaking her head, “if you don’t get up and come on.”

Anastasia flung her arms around in various directions, fighting back an oncoming migraine and whining in the process. “Rae Unnie, it’s my day off!”

Raelyn held a glass of water out to her. She took it and automatically opened her other hand to accept the aspirin that was waiting for her. Raelyn smirked when she downed the aspirin and drained the glass.

“I made breakfast,” said the older woman, turning away from her to head down the small flight of stairs from the bedroom loft, “so get washed up and come down to eat.”

“Kay,” was all Anastasia offered before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

Not wanting to keep her friend waiting, she opted to wash her face and brush her teeth. She’d shower later. Once she made her way downstairs, Anastasia took note of the folded-up blankets and pillows on the couch. The previous night’s antics played out in her mind and she couldn’t help grinning.

Raelyn suddenly showed up at her door with two big bottles of booze. Anastasia wasn’t one to usually turn down free alcohol, but she also knew that Raelyn wasn’t the type to mindlessly indulge in binge drinking like some college student. There was clearly something on her mind and the only way to chase it away was through booze. Anastasia could relate and since she had the next day off, she didn’t mind spending the evening drinking away.

They played cards, Monopoly, UNO and vegged out on the couch watching Netflix. Neither of them talked about work or the boys. Anastasia could tell that Raelyn wanted to avoid those subjects as much as possible. Everyone deserved a night to escape and there was a part of her that felt bad that they hadn’t included Eden. When it was mentioned, Raelyn said that Eden had other plans. Without having to say it aloud, Anastasia knew that it was with Jungkook. The woman was brutally honest and stubborn, but her affection toward Jungkook was cute.

She would tease her about it relentlessly.

The smells from the kitchen made Anastasia’s stomach groan, reminding her that she was, in fact, starving. It reminded her of when she had her own aspirations to start a restaurant and ultimately failed. It was probably for the best, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t prone to thinking about those days from time to time.

Raelyn whipped them up a traditional Southern Style breakfast of sausage, eggs, grits and toast. A side of sliced strawberries were set on small plates. Anastasia watched her pour a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice for each of them. When everything was set, the two women sidled onto the chairs by the counter and began to eat, neither of them wanting to say anything until they’d gotten a few bites in.

Anastasia swallowed a mouthful of toast and scrambled eggs, washing it down with milk, before finally deciding to break the silence. “So, do you want to talk about it now?”

The fork hovered by Raelyn’s lips and stayed there for a few seconds. She sighed, setting the utensil down on her plate. Anastasia remained quiet, not sure if she should repeat the question. There was a glint in Raelyn’s eyes that almost screamed what was being turned over and over inside of her head. But doing that would mean she hadn’t processed anything; that she hadn’t been _sitting on this something_ for days.

She wouldn’t have shown up with the offer to booze it up if she wasn’t prepared to get her mind right.

Stabbing at a piece of strawberry, Anastasia gripped the utensil and tried to slow her heart rate some. It never usually took Raelyn this long to speak her mind. Especially if something was _ bothering _ her. This, in turn, made her uncomfortable. But instead of prodding further, she waited.

She watched Raelyn pressing her hand to her forehead, sighing again. “Everything’s fucked up,” she finally said.

Anastasia blinked, canting her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

Raelyn was now pressing both of her hands to her face. “I mean everything _is fucked up_, Ana.”

There was a broken tone in her voice that was unfamiliar to Anastasia. She couldn’t help but worry that something terrible had happened. But from what she understood, the boys were doing okay. Their businesses were thriving, and they were walking away from the criminal underworld like they’d dreamed. Raelyn’s reason for worrying wasn’t even a factor anymore. She could date Taehyung freely and without the strain of having to look over her shoulder.

She didn’t understand what the problem was.

Anastasia reached out to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Did something happen?” She paused, brows furrowing. “I mean, besides what happened with Eden Unnie?”

She’d heard about the incident that occurred when Raelyn was dispatched to another hospital. Eden got half a dozen voicemails from her that day and an earful of high-pitched screaming when she finally answered the phone. Regardless of how tough her friends were, Anastasia didn’t want them getting hurt. Not when there wasn’t a need for them to worry about it anymore.

Raelyn shook her head back and forth fervently, her fingers clenching into fists near her forehead. “Things were supposed to get better once they went straight, right?” Anastasia’s brows furrowed when the older woman finally turned to look at her, eyes wide and shaking. “So why does it feel like things are going to get worse?”

“What?” She felt a lump forming in her throat. “What in the world is that supposed to mean? Why would they get worse?”

The older woman laughed, border lining mania, and this caused Anastasia’s hand to fall from her shoulder. “God, how could I have been so fucking stupid? How could I have _missed_ it?”

Anastasia didn’t understand what she was talking about. However, just because she couldn’t understand didn’t mean that the implications weren’t unsettling. It felt like she’d eaten a bag of river stones for breakfast – her stomach heavy and cold.

“Jimin told me something, Ana, and I’m not gonna lie, it rattled the hell out of me.”

“What did he—”

“The boys might be out, but there’s competition that wants them to stay.”

She blinked, unable to believe what she’d just heard.

“Whoa, wait…what?” Again, she blinked. “Why?”

“That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” Raelyn scoffed. “Why in the fuck—”

“—would they want their rivals to stick around when they could just claim the territory the Golden Jackals left for themselves?” Anastasia finished the thought and now it was Raelyn’s turn to look surprised. Averting her gaze, she curled her hand near her chin while glaring at her half-eaten breakfast. “That just doesn’t make sense. Strategically, when competition is gone, that leaves room for a takeover when the option for a merger is no longer on the table.”

From a marketing or bargaining standpoint, attacking the former Golden Jackals would lead to zero gain. She recalled a conversation she had with Seokjin about something similar. When companies refused to go along with mergers, a buyout option was presented. If the buyout option was refused, then eradicating all competition from the board was the next step. But if the competition chose to pull itself from the game, then the remaining competitors usually fought amongst themselves over who would take over what was left behind.

Pulling the competition back that _chose_ to remove themselves would bring them _no_ profit. It would create unrest all over again…

_Is someone foaming at the mouth or something?_

When she next met Raelyn’s gaze, it was like something dawned on the older woman. Several emotions passed over her face, but the one that Anastasia recognized immediately was anger. Something she’d said apparently set her off.

“They think they’re bluffing.”

“Huh?”

Raelyn stood from her chair suddenly, causing Anastasia to recoil. “They think Hoseok and the others are bluffing!” She began pacing and all Anastasia could do was follow her with her eyes. “They’re not sure if they’ve really dissolved or not. That’s why they’re not launching a war.” She smacked her forehead while letting loose a mirthless laugh. “That’s why the _ others _ haven’t started stirring up shit. They’re not sure what Hoseok and the others are going to do!”

Anastasia heard her laugh again, but it sounded terrible, making her skin crawl. “Rae…”

The older woman continued pacing for a few more minutes, muttering things to herself. When she suddenly stopped, Anastasia was halfway out of her seat. The two friends met each other’s gazes and it was like they both thought the same thing at that very same moment.

“What’s going to happen when they find out that it’s true?”

* * *

The work week seemed to crawl at a snail’s pace. It was unbearable and Anastasia was sure she would start the process of plucking her own eyeballs out. Seokjin and she hardly had time to see each other at all since he was doing his best to assist Hoseok and Namjoon at the new hotel in Yongsan. Not that she blamed him or needed her hand held. He wouldn’t have hired her if he didn’t think she was capable of handling things without him constantly being in the office.

Jimin being there was a boon and he was always at the ready to assist whenever she needed him. Even when she didn’t, he had coffee and snacks ready – encouraging her to take breaks before she got lost in a mountain of paperwork.

Burying herself in her work, however, was the only way she could successfully chase her worries from her mind.

She’d wanted to pick Jimin’s brain; to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. All she knew was the financial aspect of their businesses. It was her job to maintain it and make sure all the books were up to date. Nothing was out of place and Seokjin wasn’t asking her to fudge the books either. Accounts were stable and clean. No money was laundered since none of their funds were funneling in from an outside source even remotely associated with the criminal underworld.

Yet she couldn’t shake the frustration and worry that radiated from Raelyn. It was bleeding across to her now, making it hard to focus on her job. Seokjin and she were getting closer, sure, and others could clearly see that they were an item. But without him there to reassure her that things were going to be alright, Anastasia felt on edge. Hell, borderline neurotic. She could admit it.

Was their friend, Eden, suffering like this also? When she saw her a few days ago, it didn’t look like it. What was she doing that was different than what either Raelyn or she were? Had the mixed girl gotten her hands on some magic pills, being selfish and unwilling to share?

Wanting to stop by her friend’s shop on her lunch break, she took a breath of air in relief when she arrived and saw that nothing was happening. The garage was closed, a sign hanging out the window saying they were out to lunch and would be back in an hour. Anastasia finished her paperwork early and decided she would take a long lunch, so she had time to kill until her friend got back. Maybe Eden would have some answers to the questions that were constantly nagging at her.

Just as she was about to hail a cab to a nearby café, Anastasia let out a sharp squeak, realizing too late that someone was now in front of her. Her chest bumped into said person, causing her to stumble backwards. The stiletto points of her shoes scraped along the concrete loudly. When she was positive she was going to see the sky, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

“Whoa,” said a gentle voice, a hint of amusement laced through it, “careful there.”

“I’m so sorry!” Anastasia apologized, taking a step back and bowing her head. “I should have been paying more attention.”

“It’s alright. I was just wondering where the fire was.”

When she finally lifted her head to look up, she saw an unfamiliar man standing in front of her. He had mouse brown hair, umber eyes, and a sweet smile that mirrored in motion with said eyes. Flushing at his appearance, she quickly shifted her gaze to look away from him. She felt more embarrassed than anything else.

“There’s no fire.”

“I can see that.” She moved to look at him again just as the man brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. “Were you here for an appointment?”

“Oh, no,” she said with a laugh, “I just came to see my friend. Looks like I just missed them.”

He slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “In this day and age, you didn’t think to call her ahead of time?”

Anastasia pressed her hand against the side of her neck, giving a shy laugh while shrugging one shoulder. “I suck at surprises?” She laughed again until a thought struck her, causing a tiny shiver to shoot down her spine. Her hand slid slowly from her neck, falling to her side as she began narrowing her eyes at the stranger in front of her. “How did you know my friend’s a girl?”

“I assumed.”

“Assumed that I don’t have guy friends?” Anastasia took a step back when she saw the man’s gaze darken, his smile remaining. “Or that you already know who owns this shop?”

The man laughed, shrugging and then taking a step forward. She took another step back. He leaned forward, peering at her like he was examining a specimen in a jar.

“Clever girl,” he mused, straightening to his full height, “it didn’t take you long to pick up on that. No wonder you’re their financial advisor.”

Her eyes narrowed further. Anastasia didn’t appreciate being mocked. “…and who the _fuck_ are you?”

“Ya, Yoo Kihyun,” called a familiar voice from the sidewalk. They both looked to see Yoongi approaching them and Anastasia felt a wave of relief wash over her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Kihyun gave a lazy smile but there was no warmth in the gesture. Anastasia shuffled a few steps back when Yoongi closed the distance between them. He made a point to place himself in front of Anastasia, shielding her from the man who was getting his kicks out of messing with her. She had half a mind to throw her shoe at him.

Peering at him over Yoongi’s shoulder, Anastasia maintained vigilance as the other man scrutinized over her rescuer.

“Ah, Yoongi-ah. It’s been so long.”

She heard Yoongi scoff. “Not long enough. Now answer me: _what_ do you think you’re doing?” Kihyun said nothing. “Actually, a better question: why are you here?”

“No reason,” he dismissed and Anastasia bit back her urge to pop off, “curiosity mostly.”

“I’m not surprised. You’ve always been a sick, twisted little fuck.” Anastasia blinked at the barbs coming from Yoongi. She gasped when he suddenly turned around to look at her. “When Eden gets back, don’t tell her about this.”

“Huh? But why?”

“Please, Ana-ssi,” he said, his brows furrowing.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she finally nodded – albeit reluctantly. Yoongi’s expression relaxed somewhat and he bowed his head.

“Thank you.” He then turned around to face Kihyun. “You’re done here, Kihyun-ah. You talk to me now.” Yoongi strolled past the other man, not so much as giving him a backwards glance. “Follow me.”

Kihyun smirked, winked at Anastasia, and then followed after Yoongi as was demanded of him. Anastasia wasn’t sure of what to make of that encounter, but she knew she would have to thank Yoongi properly when she got the chance. Kihyun’s smile may have been charming, but the way he carried himself suggested something cold and unfeeling.

It left a knot in Anastasia’s stomach.

_Is he one of the guys Rae was talking about?_ she thought, frowning, _…are they the ones trying to pull them back?_


	36. House of Cards

Yoongi didn’t look back even once to see if Yoo Kihyun was following him. He didn’t have to. He already knew that the man would follow because his twisted curiosity wouldn’t allow him to ignore Yoongi. There were questions that the man would have and the only one who could give him the proper answers would be _The Lightning Claw_.

No one else. Just him.

Ducking into a nearby lounge bar, the barkeep greeted them and told the two men they could sit anywhere. Yoongi plopped onto a stool at the bar, ordering a glass of cognac. Kihyun sidled into the seat next to him, ordering a whiskey sour. Neither of them cared that it was the middle of the day and that they weren’t on vacation. This was business; at least it was for Yoongi. He only had a semblance of an idea of what Kihyun’s agenda was.

The two men sat in silence; the soft clinking of ice in their tumblers the only noise either made between them. A soft jazz medley played in the background, barely audible over the sound pounding inside the shell of Yoongi’s ears. His eyes zeroed in on the amber colored liquor in his glass, his fingers pressing into the brim of the glass. There was an ache in his chest from how the heavy thrum his heart and he clenched his jaw; an almost vain attempt to quiet his ire that was beginning to escalate.

Mentally chanting a mantra to himself, Yoongi lifted the glass to his lips to take a generous sip. The alcohol slid down his throat smoothly, the burn curling into the pit of his stomach. Closing his eyes, he fought back an oncoming migraine as he set the glass on the coaster. Just as he was getting a handle on his anger, Kihyun decided to speak up.

“It’s almost a shame, you know,” he said gently, casting Yoongi a sidelong glance, “if you all decide to leave Seoul.”

Yoongi’s eyes narrowed slowly as he looked at Kihyun. “And why the hell would we do that?”

Kihyun laughed softly, as if he’d heard an interesting joke. “You don’t have to play dumb, Yoongi-ah. We both know you’re aware of what’s going on.”

“You never answered my question, Kihyun-ah,” he said evenly, “what were you doing there?”

“I thought I gave you an answer already.”

“It wasn’t good enough.”

He shrugged. “I’m afraid it’s going to have to be. I don’t know what else you want me to tell you.”

“Stop messing around,” Yoongi growled, grasping Kihyun’s shoulder so he could force the other man to face him, “because I know you better than that.”

Kihyun’s eyes took on a wet sheen in the low light of the bar. His smirk remained, practically screaming that he knew something and wasn’t willing to share. It pissed Yoongi off and he dug his fingers into Kihyun’s shoulder to emphasize his displeasure. But nothing could wipe the other man’s smirk away, though a brow did twitch in response.

“Do you? I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about me.” He laughed. “About _us_.”

Yoongi pulled his hand away, like he’d touched an open flame. Kihyun looked completely satisfied with himself, turning away to face the bar and take another drink. The blood roared in his ears, muffling all sounds once more while taking measured breaths to alleviate the strain on his nerves. Spinning in the stool, he hunched over the bar as if to shield himself.

“That was a long time ago,” he muttered, feeling a cold sweat break out along his temple, “you’d do well to forget about it.”

“Well, that’s not fair at all.” Yoongi heard the ice in Kihyun’s glass clinking together. “I look back on those days quite fondly.”

A mild ache pulsed at the bridge of Yoongi’s nose, attempting to control all thoughts clambering to the surface.

“Well, you shouldn’t.”

“But I do.”

Yoongi whirled around in his seat, leaning forward to press into Kihyun’s personal space. “Goddammit, Yoo Kihyun!” he growled under his breath. The other man continued to smile. “Stop with your stupid fucking games!” He reached out slowly, curling his fingers into the lapel of Kihyun’s coat. “I mean it.”

For a while, neither of them spoke a word. The silence that existed between them was deeper than any chasm. The barkeep watched them out of the corner of his eye but continued polishing glasses and serving other customers. Yoongi felt his lungs beginning to expand with each breath he took, as though he’d been climbing a mountain and was only just now stopping to rest.

He almost jumped when Kihyun pressed his hand along the back of his wrist. Yoongi reeled backward, his heart rate escalating all the way to the vein in his neck. Kihyun laughed, shaking his head while shifting his body to face the bar again.

“You’re a mess, Min Yoongi. You make it too easy.”

Yoongi scoffed and drained the rest of his drink. “Shut-up.”

“Seriously, someone will start thinking you actually care.”

“I _said_ shut-up.”

Kihyun sighed gently. “Do you ever think about how things would have been different had you come with me back then?”

It was Yoongi’s turn to laugh, though there was no amusement behind it. “If you ever thought, for one _second_ , that I’d _ever_ leave the Golden Jackals—”

“If I wasn’t a Jade Fang, you would have.”

“Fucking as if.”

“We didn’t need the underworld to thrive,” he whispered, “we made enough trouble all by ourselves.”

“You lived in a fantasy world, Kihyun-ah. You _still_ do.”

Kihyun leaned back and shrugged. “Dreams become reality eventually.”

“Not this time.”

The bartender refilled Yoongi’s drink. Just as he was about to take another sip, he heard the other man laugh loudly, causing his shoulders to tense up on reflex.

“That’s where you’re wrong, I’m afraid.”

Yoongi glared at Kihyun, seeing the icy expression replacing the jovial one. He felt a lump of ice forming in the pit of his stomach and Yoongi sat up straight in his seat. Again, Kihyun looked as though he knew something and wasn’t willing to share. He didn’t like being the butt-end of a joke and he hated it more when someone was able to hold something over his head. In this instance, it seemed like both were happening simultaneously.

He had half a mind to punch Kihyun straight in the mouth.

“Changkyun-ah is still trying to put the pieces together. We all are.” Kihyun waved to the bartender so that he could refill his glass. “I’m sure you’ve managed to figure some things out. You’re not a moron.”

Yoongi said nothing. His eyes shifted to look at Kihyun’s profile, watching as he took a slow drink from his glass.

“Some things I’ve kept to myself.” Kihyun craned his neck to look into Yoongi’s eyes. “For personal reasons, of course.”

He wasn’t going to fall for this bluff. Kihyun did this to him all the time years ago. He would feed just enough information to a person to get them to slip up, divulging more than they’d intended. Observant and being petty were his strong suits, to the point that Yoongi often had to keep his guard up just to avoid falling into a trap.

_…he doesn’t have anything,_ he thought, pursing his lips together, _he’s fishing. If he had something, he wouldn’t be dancing around like this._

“I have to say that I never pegged you for the type to give up.”

Yoongi blinked, leaning back to gauge Kihyun’s expression. It was placid, almost bored-like. This unnerved him, but only slightly. Was he trying to play the game another way?

He decided to test the waters. “…what do you mean?”

“Eden McGee.”

His mouth went dry as a throbbing sensation exploded near the back of his head. Yoongi felt heat rising through his intestines, against his chest and into his throat. His shoulders shook, trembling in tandem with his fists as they curled near his thighs. There was a distinct ringing sound in his ears, and he swallowed the lump that managed to form near his Adam’s apple.

“What did you just say?”

Kihyun’s smile returned and Yoongi realized too late that he’d fallen for his trick. “Eden McGee,” he repeated slowly, rolling the vowels around on his tongue, “I’m surprised you gave her up so easily.”

“Ya, Yoo Kihyun,” Yoongi managed to huff out, “do you have a death wish?”

The other man clapped his hands together, leaning back in his chair to laugh in triumph. It was too late for Yoongi to take anything back. Even if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t have bothered.

“See? This is what I meant when I said you were making this too easy.” Kihyun narrowed his eyes as he lazily propped his cheek into his palm. “She was the one, wasn’t she? The one you turned your back on me for?” The question held no warmth to it. Kihyun quipped a brow while Yoongi did everything he could to tether his anger to the heels of his boots. “I never would have guessed you’d let her run to the arms of your little brother.”

“You keep her name out of your fucking mouth or I will make sure you won’t live to regret it.”

Kihyun shrugged as if the threat didn’t matter to him.

“I’d say I’m jealous, but it’s clear you’re not the man I once thought you were.”

“Come off it,” snapped Yoongi, “there was no reason for me to join hands with you back then. Nothing’s changed.” He stood from the stool, placing a handful of bills on the bar counter. “And it won’t change. You better tell Im Changkyun to get his fucking head out of his ass. We’re not going to play his stupid game.”

Yoongi started to walk away. But just as he passed Kihyun, the other man chuckled softly. Pausing in his steps, Yoongi continued looking forward. He wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he’d gotten under his skin.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Yoongi-ah.” There was the soft clinking of ice on glass as he heard it being set down on the counter. “You already are.”

“What the fuck does _that_ mean?” Yoongi spat as he looked over his shoulder.

Kihyun stood from his chair, placing money on the counter. He stood in front of Yoongi, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. A chill raced down his back as he stared into the confident expression of the man he once thought he could love. But it was a lie; a house of cards built on a cheap, rickety folding table.

“Nothing is going to come of you staying here,” Kihyun said simply while shrugging one shoulder, “except for a lot of pain. What affection I have left for you doesn’t want to expose you to that.”

Yoongi was rooted to the spot. Even as he watched Kihyun approach him, he couldn’t move. It was like someone cemented his boots to the ground, restricting all movement from him. Kihyun gently pressed his shoulder against his, turning his head so he could lean forward and whisper softly into the shell of Yoongi’s ear.

“Be selfish, Yoongi-ah.” Goosebumps peppered along the back of Yoongi’s neck as he spoke. “Take that woman from your little brother and leave this place. Otherwise—”

“Or _what_, goddammit?!” He hadn’t meant to bark the question, but there was a heavy feeling weighing inside the center of his gut.

“_…otherwise_,” he said slowly, moving around Yoongi to head for the exit, “you’ll shed tears of blood.”

As he watched Kihyun exit the lounge, Yoongi could only stare in wide-eyed shock. Long after he was gone, he remained – spine ramrod straight as a cold feeling washed over him. He wasn’t sure what he should have been doing, but his legs trembled slightly as the very weight of Kihyun’s words fell on top of his shoulders. Suddenly, his knees buckled and his hip crashed into the bar counter – an almost vain attempt to keep himself upright.

Yoongi clutched at his chest, his fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as a sharp pain sliced through his chest. Slowly, he took a breath only to wince in pain as the feeling worsened instead of ebbing. It felt like needles spreading out through his lungs, causing a ragged cough to explode from his body. The barkeep asked if he was alright, but Yoongi couldn’t hear him. He couldn’t hear anything. Nothing save for the drumming pulse of his own heart increasing its tempo with every passing second.

Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts with a shaky hand. Seeing Jungkook’s picture, he slid his thumb over his brother’s name. But before he could hear the first ring, the world blurred in and out of focus – the shadows creeping around the corners of his eyes.

His consciousness was gone long before he hit the ground.


	37. Save Me

"I want to breathe, I hate this night.  
I want to wake up, I hate this dream."

When she saw Min Yoongi being wheeled into the hospital’s emergency room, Raelyn pulled herself away from her assigned task almost immediately. Her heart hammered heavily against her chest and her forehead broke out into a cold sweat. She couldn’t hear the people calling her name and she blindly began digging through her pockets for her cell phone.

Did any of the others know what was happening?

Because she wasn’t his assigned nurse, there was no way for her to be directly involved in his treatment. Half an hour later, she was handed a coffee by one of her co-workers as they attempted to quell her concerns. They didn’t know what her connection with the patient was, but Raelyn knew not to open her mouth. The less they knew, the better. Everyone was better off that way.

Raelyn wanted to call Hoseok on instinct. She stopped herself, swallowing the heavy lump in her throat. Instead, she called Taehyung. He did his best to get her nerves to settle, telling her that it would take an act of some deity to pull Min Yoongi into his grave. He was just that stubborn. This got her to laugh a little and she sighed, feeling a little better than she had a few minutes earlier. Unfortunately, Taehyung was in Osan and wouldn’t be back in Seoul until later that afternoon. However, he _did_ promise that he’d get one of the guys over to the hospital when Yoongi was cleared for discharge.

Her friend and fellow nurse, Seyeong, approached her just as she hung up with Taehyung. “Raelyn-ssi,” she called softly as Raelyn slipped her phone into her pocket, “are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, though she didn’t feel it, “how is he doing?”

“It was fatigue mixed with an anxiety attack.” Raelyn’s brows furrowed as Seyeong continued. “He experienced some shock, but he’s stabilized and resting.”

“That’s good.”

It was the only thing that Raelyn could say without falling apart herself. She nodded her head at the appropriate moments when Seyeong explained his condition, but the woman wasn’t really listening. There were too many other things filling her head. Mostly questions that she knew she wouldn’t be getting the answers to anytime soon.

_Why the hell does this keep happening?_

Once she was left alone, Raelyn unconsciously bit her thumbnail as her eyes narrowed. This was crazy. _Anyone_ would think this was crazy. Who would go out of their way to bring someone back into the fold when it was obvious that they were competition? Wasn’t it normal to want to wipe out any obstacles that would potentially stand in a person’s way, no matter what avenue it was in reference to?

While a more twisted and jaded side of Raelyn could understand the thrill of wanting to taunt and torment an opponent, this seemed just shy of overkill. Yoongi was in the hospital because something shook him to the point of falling out. That or he was stressed and doing a terrible job of burying it down inside of himself. She hadn’t wanted to bother him with twenty questions, allowing him time to relax and to put whatever disturbed him out of his mind if even for a moment.

She toyed with the idea of calling Eden, but after the altercation she had with Yoongi at the hospital last time, she decided against it. The two of them would just wind up arguing about why he was in the hospital in the first place. Both of them would stroke out before either of them was able to get a word in edgewise.

Sighing, Raelyn angrily began scratching at the back of her head. No. This wasn’t going to work. She had to get the answers straight from Yoongi himself. Taehyung was sweet, but he always tried to cover things up as best he could. Mostly because he knew how much their old life stressed Raelyn out. They were supposed to be finished with that life and things continued to seemingly spiral out of control.

Making her way toward Yoongi’s room, she looked over his chart to see what medication they were giving him. It was a mild sedative, enough to get him to relax and maybe help him sleep. Who knew how long he’d been doing things without sleeping at this rate? Once she was able to ascertain that it was the proper dosage, she quietly slipped inside.

It took her a minute for her sight to adjust to the low light of the room provided by a small lamp. The ECG monitor beeped steadily, his heart rate normal and showing that he was, indeed, resting. Raelyn closed the door quietly behind her, the latch catching with a soft _click_. There was a humidifier by his bedside and his attendants seemed to have adjusted his bed so that he was sitting up as he slept.

She sighed again. _Okay, maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all._

As someone in the medical field, the last thing she wanted to do was pull someone out of the comfort of sleep.

Raelyn turned slowly, intent on leaving the room, when she heard movement behind her. Her hand froze, hovering just above the doorknob.

“Raelyn-ah,” he heard Yoongi grunt. She turned around to see him sitting up full, the blankets shifting around in his lap as he did so.

She turned back around to face him. “Did I wake you?”

“Who can sleep when you exist so loudly?”

Raelyn frowned, unsure of what to make of that statement. Yoongi’s wistful smirk, however, showed that he was merely teasing. She crossed the room, plopping down into a nearby chair as he pressed a hand to his forehead. She noticed the look of disapproval on his face at the IV attached to his arm. When Yoongi attempted to remove it, Raelyn smacked his wrist on reflex.

“Don’t even think about pulling that out until you’ve been discharged,” she snapped, giving him a warning glare which he huffed at.

The two of them sat in silence – both probably processing the moment shared between them. It wasn’t often that Raelyn spent time with Yoongi alone. When Hoseok and she were still together, she interacted with all the other boys – lower and upper tiered alike. But rarely was she allotted alone time with any member as an individual. In fact, she felt she’d gotten to know them _better_ when she was no longer the boss’s girl. The title came with its privileges, sure, but that also meant she was placed on a glass pedestal that she felt would shatter at any given moment.

Truth be told, she always felt Yoongi disliked her; for reasons completely all his own. On the flip side, she never really tried to bridge the gap between them either. Yoongi kept to himself, busy moving in and out of the thick of things alongside Jungkook. He never once hinted that he knew any of Raelyn’s friends, let alone that he was even dating Eden back then. Then again, she’d kept her own connection to the Golden Jackals a secret herself.

Now that everything was out in the open, Raelyn wondered where the time had gone.

“Yoongi-ah,” she murmured while looking at him. He raised a brow, silencing urging her to continue. “What happened?”

For a long while, all Yoongi did was stare at her; as if he was mentally cracking the cogs in his head to determine how to best answer the question. He blinked a few times, brushing his hair out of his eyes before folding his arms across his chest.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself over,” he answered simply, causing the muscle near Raelyn’s jaw to pulse angrily.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me, Min Yoongi?” Raelyn’s voice went up an octave as she rose from her chair. He followed her with his eyes. “You are now the third person connected to me in _ some _ way to wind up in the fuckin’ hospital! Why should I _not_ be concerned about this?”

Yoongi frowned. “Because there isn’t a single thing you can do about it.” The directness of the statement was like a punch to her gut, causing her to take a step back. His expression was icy and so was his tone. “Telling you what happened won’t change anything, so why bother?”

Raelyn felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach and she fell into the chair, semi-defeated. Why was he the second person to seemingly knock the wind out of her sails? What was so damn heavy that they felt the need to try and chase her off like none of this mattered? Raelyn clenched her jaw, furious at being dismissed in such a way.

“Listen up,” she said, her ire bubbling near the surface, “there is only so much that you guys can do to keep us in the dark. We’re going to find out eventually.”

He scoffed as he cut his eyes at her. “You find out and then what? Huh?” Raelyn blinked, unsure of what he was getting at. “You’re either going to get caught up in this nonsense until it settles, or you’ll turn tail and run. Those are pretty much your only options.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but found she couldn’t find the right words to throw back at him. Didn’t she have a rebuttal for this? She normally did. In this instance, however, Yoongi seemed to knock the fight right out of her.

“So, I guess the only real question you should be asking yourself now,” he broached, causing her to meet his gaze, “is how long do you plan on sticking around this time?”

Even though Yoongi was a few feet away from her, when he leaned forward, Raelyn instinctively leaned back in her chair.

“Because I can tell you right now that things aren’t going to be pretty. Not for a while.”

Raelyn’s vision began to swim momentarily. It was like she was hearing Jimin’s words all over again. They held a different tone, but the implication was still there. Each of them were telling her to make a choice. Even Taehyung had asked her to believe in her, to have faith that she wouldn’t be left alone. She wanted to believe him. There wasn’t a reason for her not to. They’d proven time and again that they were steadfast and willing to walk the hard road together – side by side.

So why was she so afraid to walk _with_ them?

“I don’t know what’s going to happen from today on,” he said, cutting through her thoughts, “and I don’t want to think about it. I tried to keep Eden as far away from this nonsense as possible and she still managed to stumble her way into this shit.”

Relieved that the pressure was off her, even for a moment, allowed Raelyn the chance to regain her voice. “That is her choice, Yoongi-ah. You tried to take it from her once already. She’s a grown ass woman and can make her own decisions.”

He rolled his eyes, averting his gaze to stare at his phone on the nightstand by the bed. It vibrated relentlessly as Jungkook’s name flashed across the screen. Neither of them made a move to answer it.

“Yeah, well,” he finally said after the phone stopped buzzing, “she’s made that clear enough. I don’t need you to remind me of that.”

Raelyn narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t let your own regrets get in the way of other people’s progress.”

There was a flash of anger that danced over Yoongi’s gaze as his eye-line met hers. She didn’t waver, despite how scary he appeared at that moment.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not stupid and I’m not blind,” she said, pushing her glasses up along the bridge of her nose. Raelyn’s arms folded across her chest slowly. “You may have messed things up with her, but that doesn’t mean Jungkook will.”

“Raelyn…” Yoongi growled out her name in warning but she didn’t heed it.

“Their relationship has nothing to do with you.”

“Jungkook is my brother!” he bellowed, causing her shoulders to tense up slightly.

She took a breath. “Stop using him as an excuse.”

Raelyn knew she was treading on dangerous ground, but this was something she’d been wanting to say to Yoongi for a while. Ever since she found out that _he_ was the Yoongi who’d broken her best friend’s heart.

“Eden is choosing to stay by Jungkook’s side. After everything that’s happened, she’s making the choice for herself. Something you never took the chance on.”

Rising from the chair, she could feel Yoongi’s eyes following her. “And you’re right about one thing, Yoongi-ah.” Taking a moment to look over his monitors, she let her gaze linger on his for a moment longer before making her way toward the door. “It’s time I made a choice of my own.”


	38. Awake

"It’s not that I believe it,  
but that I want to try holding out..."

The rain fell in heavy torrents outside. Seokjin sat at his desk, elbows resting on the surface with his fingers pressing together. If anyone happened to enter his office at that moment, they quickly vacated the room without disturbing him. He was usually kind, impressionable, and full of answers to the many questions that were thrown at him. He had a gentle smile or soft reprimand prepared for any situation.

Kim Seokjin’s current expression, however, would have frightened anyone who dared to look upon it.

His eyes, normally bright, were exceptionally dark and fierce. Full lips were pressed together in a semi-thin line as brows furrowed harshly over his eyes. The only sound resonating through the room was the steady ticking of the clock hanging over his bookshelf. A pin could drop in the room and it would have sounded like a gunshot fired off.

_Why?_

It was a single question that continued to bounce around inside of Seokjin’s head for days. No, _weeks_. He knew that there would be unrest in the criminal underworld upon their departure. It was a given. Gangnam and Yongsan were not small territories. All the other district heads were salivating at the idea that Golden Jackal turf was up for auction – metaphorically speaking. There would be no bidding for those areas. It would be an all-out war.

What disturbed Seokjin the most, the nagging concern that continued to plague his waking hours, was why no one seemed bothered into making a move. None of them. Not even Dongwook turned his head in the direction of those two territories. Something was brewing under the surface, far below the sight of the normal world. The underground was horrifying without all the clichés. It was dirty and festering like a wound that had been allowed to become infected.

His eyes narrowed slightly. _…why isn’t anyone moving?_

Seokjin’s calculations were normally spot on – perfect to the point of it being eerie. His call to hold off opening the hotel to timing down when, exactly, the others would need to pull out of the game. Namjoon and he spent many late nights figuring all the ins and outs to the tiniest of details. The Golden Jackals were able to succeed up to this point thanks to them both combining their efforts to see through every move and calculate all countermeasures.

However, it was clear the Jade Fangs were preparing for things far in advance. He recalled Namjoon’s face after the encounter he’d had with Shownu. As far back as Seokjin could remember, he’d never seen Namjoon reveal such an expression. There was anger, of course, but something akin to uncertainty that, had any of the others been privy to it, would have lost all motivation to continue down the path they were currently on. They hadn’t made a mistake. Seeing either Hoseok, Namjoon, or even himself waver would have made all their work disintegrate into a puff of smoke.

They couldn’t let that happen.

The shrill sound of the phone shattered Seokjin’s thought process. He cut his eyes toward it, watching the red light flash with each ring. Reaching out, he picked it up from the receiver.

“This is Kim Seokjin,” he answered calmly.

_“Oh, Hyung,”_ Jimin said on the other line. There was a tone-shift that Seokjin instantly recognized. Jimin was uncomfortable with something, but he was unsure of whether or not to tell Seokjin about it.

Seokjin sighed. “What is it, Jimin-ah?”

Jimin hesitated, as if trying to piece together the situation he was dealing with at that exact moment. _“You, uh…you have a guest?”_

It was a question. Seokjin frowned, his eyes lowering to his cell phone to see that he’d received a text from Anastasia. He’d given her the day off and now he was regretting it. She would have chased this person off the premises, of that he was most certain. He sighed, unable to stave off the grin at the little kitty emoji she’d sent him, along with the words “Fighting” at the end.

“Who is it?”

_“…it’s Wonho Hyung.”_

He blinked, his gaze lifting to the doors to his office. No. It was a good thing that Anastasia wasn’t in the office now. Seokjin recalled the look on Wonho’s face when he’d first laid eyes on his financial advisor.

Dissolved or not, _The Ice Claw_ of the Golden Jackals would not stand for it.

“Send him in,” Seokjin said finally. He could hear Jimin beginning to protest but he silenced him with a harsh click of his tongue. “Send him in, Jimin-ah.” He hung up the phone, promptly ending the conversation.

Rising from his seat, Seokjin made his way toward the side bar in his office. He didn’t bother turning his head as the doors opened and closed. Instead, he focused on preparing the drinks for both himself and his “guest”. As he poured the gin into the glass, he heard a familiar chuckle to his right.

“You remembered,” gruffed Wonho, his shadow casting itself just over Seokjin’s shoulder, “I’m impressed.”

Turning slightly, he met Wonho’s gaze – the man grinning easily as his lip piercing glinted from the fluorescent lighting of the room. Seokjin held the glass of gin out to him, waiting for it to leave his fingers before returning his attention to the liquor decanters. Dropping two cubes of ice into a tumbler, he let the amber liquid fall into the container – the distinct smell of scotch filling his nares.

“Who could forget your horrible choice of booze, Wonho-yah?” Seokjin turned back to Wonho and the two of them clinked their glasses together.

He gestured to the lounge area of his office where they had a clear view of the city from a large set of bay windows. Seokjin pressed a button on the wall, allowing the curtains to part so the lights of the city could fill the space between them. They both leaned along the frame, their bodies opposite of each other, not really paying their drinks any real mind. Or the city.

Seoul bustled with life below them. Cars zoomed past; pedestrians milled about – heading to unknown destinations. But the noise of the city never reached them.

There was only the sound of the clock ticking away.

Seokjin lifted his drink up to his lips, taking a slow sip to savor the smooth burn that slid down his throat. He didn’t have to look up to know that Wonho was sizing him up. But like always, Seokjin’s body gave nothing away.

“You’re not even going to ask me why I’m here, Jin Hyung,” Wonho said, amusement clear in his tone. It wasn’t a question.

The corner of Seokjin’s mouth lifted in a half grin as he continued to stare out across the cityscape. “Should I?”

“You’re not the least bit curious.”

This time, he let his gaze shift to meet Wonho’s. “Again, _should_ I?”

Wonho’s grin widened, causing the chain connecting his lip ring to his earring to move. “It’s because you already know why.”

Seokjin shrugged. “This is becoming a one-sided conversation rather quickly, don’t you think?” He narrowed his eyes to Wonho ever so slightly. “So, why don’t you do us both a favor and get to the point of this little visit already, hm?”

For a while, neither of them said a word. All they did was smile at each other. Then Wonho began to chuckle; a low and rumbling sound. Seokjin followed suit with a slow building laugh of his own. Finally, both men were laughing loudly, their shoulders practically vibrating from the gesture.

He felt the movement before seeing it. The two men dropped their drinks, the shattering of glass lost to them as their bodies seemed to move of their own accord. Seokjin’s body shifted to the right just as Wonho’s arm thrust out to land a hit to his shoulder. Jerking his elbow up, he knocked into Wonho’s forearm and took a step forward at the same time he did. Seokjin’s arm shot out, his hand immediately clamping over Wonho’s throat seconds after he felt the blow to his ribs. The muscles in his biceps flexed, forcing Wonho’s weight to the left until the other man’s head was pressed against the glass window.

Seokjin winced at the pain blossoming at his core, causing the other man to chuckle, albeit strained from the hold the older man had on him.

“Y-You’ve gotten a little slower, J-Jin Hyung.” Wonho was in obvious discomfort, but still felt like cracking jokes.

Grinning, he dug his fingers into Wonho’s flesh just a bit more, silencing the noises coming from him. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know.” Seokjin felt Wonho grab at his wrist, attempting to loosen the hold he had on his neck. “Falling in love has made you _weak_.”

The smirk fell from Seokjin’s face, as if Wonho slapped it away. Replacing the momentary look of shock was absolute rage. He squeezed harder, watching the other man’s face change to a concerning shade of red. Seokjin took a step forward, his chest just barely pressing up against Wonho’s.

“Come again?” Wonho coughed against his grasp but Seokjin showed no signs of easing up. “You wanna run that by me _one more time_, Lee Wonho?”

Instead of answering, the younger man simply laughed. That simple action was enough for Seokjin as realization washed over him like a bucket of ice water. After everything he’d heard from the others, he’d allowed his guard to slip for even a second. And Seokjin was infuriated at the victorious expression painting Wonho’s features.

_Goddammit,_ he thought, the vein at his neck pulsing in time with his ire. He glared at Wonho, wanting in that moment to give into impulse and smash him through the window. _Fucking Jack Rabbit…_

Taking a step back, he watched as Wonho began to cough and massage his neck. There was a distinct crunch of glass under them as they shuffled over the broken shards. Neither of them paid it any mind. Not when it was obvious that the trap, small as it was, had been sprung.

“It’s just like I thought,” the other man finally managed to croak out, a strained chuckle tacked on the end of his words, “and I told Changkyun-ah what would happen.”

Seokjin pressed a hand to his side, unable to ignore the ache of pain there any longer. “Whatever game you think you’re playing, you need to stop.”

Again, Wonho laughed. “If you weren’t going to finish the game, you never should have started playing in the first place.”

“What’d you say?”

“Did you forget, Jin Hyung? When you first showed up in Seoul all those years ago? Before the Golden Jackals even came around?” Wonho was smiling, but his tone was full of barbs. “You all turned down the offer to become a Jade Fang. One of Changkyun’s people. After getting an in and obtaining all the knowledge you needed, you spat in our faces and left to form your own group.”

Seokjin didn’t know whether to be outraged or laugh. He chose a mixture of both. “Did you think we were going to become Im Changkyun’s _ lackeys? _” he asked, his brows raising slightly. “Have you lost your mind?”

“We offered you a place at our table—”

“And we didn’t _want it,_ Wonho,” Seokjin cut in, not sure of what to make of this conversation now, “we never did.”

“That’s fine,” he said easily, strolling past Seokjin, “and since Hoseok clearly doesn’t want to join hands with Changkyun, then there’s nothing else for us to really talk about.”

Seokjin turned around just as he saw Wonho heading for the door.

“Ya, Lee Wonho!”

The younger man paused, his fingers resting on the door handle. Wonho glanced over his shoulder to meet Seokjin’s gaze, his smile remaining.

“You better know where the line is.” Seokjin’s eyes narrowed severely. “Don’t even _dream_ of crossing it.”

Instead of replying, Wonho’s grin grew, and then he exited the office – leaving Seokjin alone to feel suffocated by the silence.

_…it’s almost time._

* * *

He didn’t wait for Anastasia to greet him with her warm, bubbly smile like she so often did when he came to see her. He wouldn’t let her take his coat or offer him a drink. He hadn’t bothered with teasing remarks like he usually did when they were behind closed doors.

Completely ignoring the house slippers, he kicked his shoes off in the entryway and hoisted Anastasia into his arms. She flailed, her hands pressing into his shoulders as she made every attempt to get him to slow down. In ten seconds, he already had her back pressed against the window of her apartment – his arms taking comfort in the cold emitting from the surface. The deep desire was building in Seokjin’s lips, completely overtaking her own.

Tasting her was a sin he willingly committed every chance he could get.

Whatever words Anastasia had were gone and Seokjin didn’t _want_ to talk. He wanted to _feel_ everything; feel _her._ If she wanted to talk, he would simply rob her of the ability to speak until he was ready for any kind of conversation.

“S-Seokjin,” she managed to puff out when he’d released her mouth, “w-wait a minute.”

Her mewl of protest halted him momentarily, his dark eyes boring into her deep seas of green. Anastasia looked like a deer caught in headlights and he bit back a grin. Instead, his thumb slowly traced the line of her brow all the way to her lips. Tucking the tip of it between the rosy buds, now swollen from his affection, he leaned in to further crowd her space.

“Y-You haven’t eaten yet,” Anastasia stammered, her back pressing further into the window as he, too, took a step into her bubble. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“I am.” His answer came out huskier than he’d intended, causing her cheeks to flush further.

She tried to push against him, but he didn’t move a single inch.

“T-Then let me cook already!”

Seokjin shook his head, leaning down so that his lips were barely brushing across hers. “Dinner can wait.”

Before she could protest, he was already dipping his hands under her baggy sweatshirt – his cold hands instantly warmed by her soft skin nestled beneath. She yelped from his touch and he leaned forward, whispering apologies before sealing his mouth over hers in a heated kiss. Caressing her stomach, he slid his hands around her back until his knuckles brushed over the waistband of her flannel pajama pants. He dipped them beneath, grabbing handfuls of her ass in his palms and lifting her up and against him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist without having to be asked and Seokjin grinned, giving her a good squeeze as he moved – legs slowly ascending the stairs leading to her bedroom loft. When his knees knocked against the edge of the bed, he held Anastasia against him as he leaned back, his hands moving to pull her sweatshirt completely off her torso. Goosebumps immediately peppered across her skin and he began to kiss her collar, his tongue sliding across to her shoulder until he was able to bite into the meat of the muscle there.

Groaning softly, he gently lowered her body down. Just before she was about to reach the bed, however, Seokjin pinched at the back of her calves, causing her grip to release him as she unceremoniously flopped onto the mattress. Her face screwed up in obvious displeasure, but Seokjin didn’t allow her time to issue a complaint. His hands were already at work, gripping onto the waist of her pants and yanking them off in one clean motion. Anastasia’s eyes widened and she attempted to scramble up the bed, _away_ from him, but he was fine with that.

He preferred the hunt.

Seokjin shed his jacket and blazer with little effort on his part, leaning down to remove his socks while maintaining his gaze with the beautiful woman he’d become attached to more and more with every passing day they spent together. Even when they weren’t together, he was enraptured with her and there was an angry imp inside of him cursing Wonho for seeing it clearly when Seokjin, himself, had not bothered to give it a voice.

Love.

“Are you running from me?” he asked while slowly removing his tie. “Huh, Anastasia?”

She looked gob smacked by his question – as if she truly couldn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth. To be fair, he couldn’t blame her. He’d hardly been this aggressive. Ever.

Seokjin snatched her by her ankle, yanking her roughly toward him. There was a half cry, half laugh that exploded from Anastasia. He loved her laugh and he loved knowing that _he_ was the reason for it. Once her legs were dangling on either side of him, he quickly unbuttoned his dress shirt and tossed it to the floor without a second glance. His bare torso was exposed and he could feel the chill running through the air. He pouted slightly while Anastasia seemed almost lost at looking at his body, as if appreciating it for the first time.

“You’re not poor, you know?” He watched her blink up at him, like she’d been knocked out of a trance. He slid his belt off and it, too, hit the floor. “Why do you keep being cheap about the heat?”

Anastasia’s face contorted into child-like outrage. “Ya, Kim Seokjin!”

Seokjin let his hand sail down to her underwear, his palm cupping the warmth that cropped there. He let a middle finger press into the fabric, feeling the nub that was starting to throb and grow wet under his touch. Whatever rebuttals she had were silenced as he rubbed slow, agonizing circles around her clit over the surface of her panties. He could _smell her_, wanting nothing more than to cover his entire body in that scent.

As he continued to rub circles around her nub, distracting her, his other hand reached down and pulled her underwear completely off her hips. She gasped, her warmth exposed to the frigid air. Seokjin dropped his trousers and groaned at the ache in his loins – his erection fighting against the confines of his boxer briefs. Anastasia reached out to grasp his forearms, unsure of what he was going to do next but silently letting him know that she was ready.

Grabbing for her waist, he flipped her over until her ass bounced in the air – watching her honey wheat locks escape from the updo she’d tied it in and spill over her back. His cold hands slid along the curve of her spine until his fingers flicked over the clasp of her bra – releasing the latch and watching the article flutter to the bed.

He watched her body shudder as she attempted to keep herself up on all fours, admiring the way her folds glistened. Her pale skin flushed and Seokjin already knew that she was becoming self-conscious. _Tsk_ing under his breath, he reached out to firmly smack her ass – watching it grow red where his hand was. Anastasia choked out a gasp, and he grinned as her fingers curled into the blankets.

“Are you acting shy? Hm?”

Anastasia whined. He knew she was unable to voice her tantrum to his outrageous question. He smacked her other ass cheek for good measure, eliciting soft, whining mewls from her.

“I’ve told you a million times already,” Seokjin whispered, his fingers sweeping down over her folds to catch the juices from her, “that you’re beautiful.”

He lifted his hand to his lips, swirling his tongue over the digits, making sure that she was watching. There was a hint of a smirk on her lips and Seokjin leaned forward, pressing his chest against her backside and feeling her velvet heat along his stomach. Shimmying out of his underwear, his erection sprung forward, rock hard and aching with desire that he knew only she could satisfy.

She knew it too.

Pressing his hand against her back, he forced her chest to rest along the bed so that her ass was up just a little bit higher. He curled inward, pressing his lips against her spine to trail kisses all the way down until he pressed his lips on both red marks on her ass. Soothing balms for the punishment he’d given her. Seokjin saw her reaching as far as she could towards the headboard, her hands finding the pillow and digging into the soft plush until her knuckles were ghostly white.

Grasping onto her hips with bruising force, Seokjin slid into her fully in one thrust – the world falling to a raw tilt that had his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Anastasia cried out in both pain and pleasure, his name falling from her lips like a litany to a deity that no longer existed but was desperately being summoned. He took his time sliding out of her, his tip just scarcely brushing along her folds, before pushing all the way in. The cadence was slow, deliberate, until he couldn’t take it anymore. The climb was harsh, nails raking along her pale skin as she continued to clutch with ferocity into the sheets and pillows – her voice muffled in the cotton while taking him every single time.

And when he couldn’t handle the pacing he was dragging them both through, when he knew _she_ couldn’t handle it anymore, Seokjin increased speed – thrusting like a piston with precision. The spot that felt the best, the part that satisfied him, was finally within reach. He could feel her walls closing in around him, gripping with a need to keep him there – to continue hitting _that spot_.

So, he did.

Over.

And over.

And over again.

His chest fell across her back, their cries intermingling as their climax was reached together. Sweat soaked their bodies and the hot, musky scent of their sex filled the small space. Grasping onto her shoulders, Seokjin pulled them both to land on their sides. He stayed inside of her, the soft throb of her heat holding him there; tethering him in a way that he was in no rush to free himself from. Anastasia’s breathing eased out as he brushed her bangs away from her forehead affectionately, his other hand wrapping around her from underneath so he could keep his palm pressed between the cleft of her breasts – to feel her heartbeat.

When he was confident that she’d fallen into a light sleep, Seokjin pressed a kiss to her neck and then let his lips linger near the shell of her ear.

“…I love you.”


	39. Lie

"Take me out of this hell.  
I can’t free myself from this pain."

Taehyung wasn’t normally a morning person. He worked late nights, especially with running the Indie record label alongside Jungkook, which meant hours upon hours spent at the recording studio. There were nights when his insomnia would take hold of him, keeping him from being able to rest properly. Waking hours lulled on with worries that he often kept to himself. When he _did_finally sleep, it was restless and sometimes plagued with nightmares. He tried sleep aids that Jimin suggested, but they only worked so long as he didn’t grow dependent on taking them every day.

This particular morning, Taehyung was up just as the morning haze began to lift. Cradling a steaming paper cup of coffee, he approached the quiet amusement park. They wouldn’t be opening for a couple of months, what with it being the off-season. Being a former Golden Jackal had its perks and he was able to unlock the large padlock connected to the links of chains outside of the gate. The metal hinges creaked loudly and he winced, wondering if this resembled how the gates of Hell would open when entreating new residents.

_I’ll find out one day, I guess,_ he thought, smirking against the brim of the cup as he entered the park while stuffing the padlock into his coat pocket. He always believed he was damned. May as well make the most of his life while he was still up and kicking.

Spring was around the corner. He could feel it. The air was less frigid and held a distinct warmth to it, even through the overcast sky.

Taehyung glanced around casually, peering at the different rides. The park looked like a ghost town since no one was there to enjoy the festivities. Vendor booths were empty of prizes and food, but he knew if he imagined hard enough, he could hear the ambient noise that came with the scenery.

A stab of nostalgia poked at his chest as he recalled the small-town festivals that were held in his hometown. Farmers gathered to drink, barter goods, and traveling performers visited to entertain the townsfolk. Taehyung was amused with it until he became a teenager, wondering if the country life was all he was going to ever surround himself with. He’d had his own ambitions to leave and head to the big city, but he never imagined he would have done it with his childhood friends.

Everyone seemed so set in their ways back then. Even Namjoon.

He halted his steps, lifting his face to the sky. _I wonder when things started to change…_

“It’s creepy when no one is here,” said a voice behind him.

Taehyung lolled his head lazily to the side, pivoting slightly until he was face to face with the person he agreed to meet with that morning. He pulled the hood back on his hoodie, sneakers shuffling on the concrete as a better dressed Chae Hyungwon approached. His bubblegum pink hair looked faded, mostly from the overcast skies, but his piercing eyes seemed even brighter than normal. The silver earrings dangling from his lobes jingled softly as he walked, a soft smirk pulling at the corners of his full lips. While Hyungwon was dressed in what most would consider business casual, Taehyung felt severely under dressed in comparison.

And he didn’t give a damn.

Hyungwon stopped just a few feet in front of Taehyung, the two men facing each other. Instead of greeting him (or even acknowledging his earlier comment), the younger man took another drink of coffee. He made a point to slurp in an obnoxious fashion, unbothered by the simple lift of a brow from Hyungwon.

When he pulled the cup from his lips, Hyungwon scoffed as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “You didn’t even bother to bring me a cup of coffee?”

Taehyung shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t know I was supposed to.” And to be a brat, he took another long sip.

“So disrespectful to your Hyung,” Hyungwon replied casually.

“Now _that_,” he said, the hand holding the cup pointing at him, “you most certainly are _not_.”

Hyungwon made a dramatic show of being insulted, placing a hand on his chest as if he’d been physically struck. When he noticed that Taehyung wasn’t going to humor him, he returned to his normal posture and expression.

“You’re no fun.”

“Why did you want to meet me at such a stupid time of day?”

He watched the older man take a few steps forward, closing the gap between them, before side-stepping Taehyung and walking past him. He turned his body in time with his movements, not wanting to have his back to the Snapping Turtle. However, Hyungwon seemed focused on whatever he was processing in his head as he continued walking, not bothering to see if Taehyung would follow. He didn’t care to be left alone, but he wasn’t comfortable with Hyungwon running around and being left to his own devices in a place only _he_ had been allowed access to.

“Hey!” he belted out, but the older man continued walking with no signs of slowing down his pace at all. “You gonna answer me or what?!”

Again, he was ignored.

Annoyed, Taehyung jogged forward and grasped onto Hyungwon’s shoulder, whirling him around so they were face to face. When he did, he was suddenly aware of something sharp pressed against his neck. Taehyung rocked back on the balls of his feet, surprised he still had a hold of his coffee. Hyungwon’s eyes, which were playful and light earlier, were now dark and threatening. A lump formed in Taehyung’s throat and as he swallowed, he was even more aware of the cold bite of the item still against his skin.

“Taehyung-ah,” came Hyungwon’s even tone, his hold on the knife steady, “I know it isn’t your style, but you should really mind your manners.”

Taehyung smirked, slowly setting his feet back evenly on the ground, and shrugged. “Oh, right,” he said, as if he was remembering something, “I forgot how you hate being touched.”

Hyungwon quickly removed the knife’s edge from his throat, folding the blade back into its confines and slipping it into his pocket. Taehyung absentmindedly rubbed at his neck, checking if the skin was broken. When he saw no blood, he looked up at Hyungwon who was now brushing his hands through his hair in irritation.

He wasn’t going to be the only one who got riled up at this asinine hour of the day.

For a while, the two men just stood in companionable silence. It was like this before; in the past. When the Golden Jackals didn’t exist. Back then, the Jade Fangs were the young gang climbing up in ranks on the streets. Their reputation wasn’t as profound as it was today, but, in time, they were able to gain notoriety where it counted.

And it happened because of _them_; the Golden Jackals.

“If I call you ‘Hyung’, _just for today_, will you tell me why you dragged me out of my bed?”

Hyungwon’s irritated expression was immediately replaced with a mischievous grin. “I’ll think about it.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “That’s the only offer you’re getting. If you don’t have anything to tell me, I’m going back to sleep.”

Without waiting for an answer to his ultimatum, he turned on his heels and began walking back towards the entrance of the park.

“Icarus died because he flew too close to the sun.”

His sneakers made a loud scraping noise as he halted abruptly. Slowly, he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Hyungwon. The older man stayed where he was, hands once more in his pockets.

Taehyung quipped a brow at him. “Yeah, so what?”

“His hubris is what killed him.”

This time, he narrowed his eyes. “Again, _so what_?” he asked through clenched teeth.

Hyungon’s lips pressed together in a thin line. He looked like he was about to say something, then stopped. Taehyung did his best not to squeeze the paper cup in his hand. He visibly looked like he was piecing something together, formulating the words in his head. Taehyung smothered his anger down into his gut to keep from exploding in outrage at Hyungwon.

After what felt like a small eternity, the older man met Taehyung’s eyes. “You all need to leave Seoul.”

Though he hadn’t meant to, Taehyung burst into a small fit of laughter. “I’m sorry, what was that?” Hyungwon clearly wasn’t joking, but he couldn’t stop laughing. “You want us to leave _where_ now?”

“Seoul.” Hyungwon’s tone was clipped. “You need to leave Seoul as soon as you can.”

“Fuck that.”

“I’m serious, Taehyung-ah. _Leave Seoul_.” Hyungwon sighed, averting his gaze. “At least for a little while. Until things settle down.”

Taehyung’s laughter died off. “And why the hell should we do that, huh?” He was smiling, but he could feel the precursor of an eruption bubbling in his chest. “After all the hard work we’ve put in through the years, after everything we’ve fucking _accomplished_, you think we’re just gonna turn tail and run? Huh?”

Hyungwon said nothing, which only made him angrier. Why wasn’t he giving him more of an explanation than that? What the hell was so goddamn pressing that he felt the need to tell him and his brothers to fucking scram? As far as he was concerned, they’d paid their dues and done their time. They had no reason to flee the scene because they weren’t _in_ the shadows anymore.

A sliver of light peeled in through the clouds, followed by several more rays that beamed down around them. The concrete took on an ethereal glow, shadowing their forms even more than they had been under the cloud cover. Even the steam rising from his coffee was lost in the darkness.

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.”

“And why the hell not?”

“Because it doesn’t.”

“No,” snapped Taehyung, pointing to Hyungwon angrily, “you need to _ make it _work that way. I don’t know what your boss has planned, and I don’t fucking care. We’re not playing the game anymore. We’re out!”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“What?!”

“I said that it doesn’t matter.” Hyungwon’s brows furrowed slightly. “You think the game is over just because you’ve folded your hand? Don’t be so naïve.”

Taehyung scoffed, rolling both his neck and his eyes, before giving him an incredulous look. “Wow, Chae Hyungwon, you—”

“The game is _still being played_, Kim Taehyung. So, while I’m telling you _nicely_, you need to take whatever you can and get the hell out of Seoul.”

Taehyung’s anger was boiling and on the verge of overflowing. Yet he couldn’t say anything. In all the years he’d known Hyungwon, he’d only ever seen him this serious _once_. And that was on the night war broke out in Gangnam five years ago.

The night when the Golden Jackals solidified their place in the criminal underworld.

Something else dawned on Taehyung at that exact moment. Why it had taken him so long was something he’d have to battle with later, when his mind was a little quieter. But now? _Now_ he had a better understanding of the situation. _Now_ he had a better grasp on the danger they were about to be in.

Or already _were_ in.

_ Those bastards are about to make a move, _ he thought, almost horrified by the idea of it, _and **he** doesn’t care that we’ve pulled out from the competition._

“Leave the table.” Hyungwon approached Taehyung, walking around him and heading toward the exit. “Before you’re forced to see just how much you’re about to lose.”

He watched Hyungwon exit the amusement park, leaving Taehyung alone as the sun continued breaking through the clouds. His hands shook violently and hot coffee spilled out onto the ground, burning the back of his hand. But he couldn’t feel any of it. He was completely numb. If his entire body wasn’t trembling with the force of his rage, he might have cared.

Reaching into his back pocket, he fished out his cell and quickly dialed a number. It rang twice before they picked up. Swallowing the lump in his throat once more, Taehyung wet his lips as he tried to regain his voice. As he tried to tether some semblance of sanity back to his brain - to keep his mind from running amok without reason.

But he had a reason. They _all_ had one.

Because the game wasn’t over yet.

“Hoseok Hyung,” he said gently, his fingers curling into a literal death grip around the phone, “I think we’re about to have some problems…”


	40. Not Today

"Today we’ll never die.  
The light will pierce through the darkness."

_Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District  
South Korea_

It was the calm before the storm.

Hoseok could feel it in his bones to the point where he swore that they creaked with each step he took. He barely heard what Namjoon was telling him as they approached the large building in downtown Myeongdong. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince him to change his mind; to postpone this meeting for another day. Or if it was something else entirely. Hoseok was only vaguely aware of the noises on the streets as they passed pedestrians on the path to their destination.

There was too much simmering beneath the surface for him to focus on anything outside of reaching his destination.

When he’d received the call from Taehyung a couple of days ago, Hoseok knew it was time for him to make his move. Yoongi falling ill and being hospitalized, even for a day, should have been the metaphorical straw that broke the camel’s back. Truth be told, Hoseok was in and out of meetings for most of the days during the week and had little time to spare outside of his business practices. Things were starting to look good. Things were finally beginning to take a positive turn, just as they planned.

Even with the instances that the Jade Fangs _did_ show up, they were minor inconveniences at most. Hoseok was made aware of the slight against Eden, Jungkook’s girlfriend. He offered to have her monitored, but at Jungkook’s behest, he didn’t follow through. Eden was apparently a woman who valued her personal life and her privacy. The last thing she wanted was anyone shadowing her unnecessarily, even if it was for her own protection. From what he was told, Eden was also a woman who could more than handle herself if it came to a rough and tumble fight.

Hoseok did not pull his eyes back from Raelyn, even if she _was_ seeing Taehyung now. There was always the chance that something could happen and at a moment when everyone least expected it. If she were ever made aware of it, he would apologize for it later. In this case, it was better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Old habits die hard, as they say…

Feet shuffled to a halt as he stood in front of the large building, Namjoon at his side. The two of them looked up at the high-rise, the sun already sinking beyond the horizon and down below the tree lines. The twilight hour was upon them and the world was still just as busy buzzing with life. As it would continue to do for many days to come.

Clearing his throat, he began to move forward – approaching the sliding glass doors. “Let’s go,” he said just as the doors opened to grant them entrance.

Two security guards approached them from either side, causing the two men to stop in the main lobby. Hoseok lofted a brow at each of them and Namjoon shuffled just a little bit closer to him. His tan trench coat hung off his shoulders while he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pin-striped slacks. Lifting one hand from the pocket, he undid the button on the matching suit jacket as he slid his aviators off his face.

“Im Changkyun is expecting me,” came his even reply as he put the shades into the inner pocket of his jacket, “so be good boys and step aside.”

Hoseok didn’t bother hiding his irritation. He wanted it _ known _ that this wasn’t some pleasant little business meeting or a check-in visit. This was nothing of the sort.

This…was _personal_.

A phone rang at the secretary’s desk, snapping her out of her momentary trance at the small incident that was stirring in the lobby. The two security guards continued to block Hoseok’s path, but then the woman quickly stood from her seat and bowed before hanging up the phone. She clapped her hands to get the guards’ attention.

“Chairman Im said to let them through.”

The guards stood there a little while longer before finally stepping to the side, giving both Hoseok and Namjoon a clear path. They approached the desk where the young woman handed Hoseok a keycard. She bowed in apologies before pointing to the corridor off to the right.

“If you take that hallway, there are sets of elevators. The key card will give you access to the Chairman’s office on the top floor.”

Hoseok flashed her a polite grin, waving the card at her clamped between his fingers. “Thank you.”

And without so much as a second glance, he began heading toward the hallway. Namjoon followed behind him, making sure that the two security guards weren’t intent on doing something stupid. Hoseok didn’t see his friend visibly relax until they were alone in the elevator.

He slid the keycard through the card reader, waiting for the elevator to begin lifting them from the ground floor. When it jerked slightly upon its initial ascent was when Namjoon finally spoke.

“Hoseok-ah? Do you think—”

“Don’t, Namjoon-ah,” he interrupted, staring ahead at their muddied reflections on the elevator’s stainless-steel doors, “not now.”

“We didn’t even discuss this with the others.”

There was concern in Namjoon’s voice, which was well-warranted. It was rare for Hoseok to go rogue. When he did, it was usually something small. He never made moves like this without discussing it with the others first. Seokjin always made it a point to ensure that everyone was on the same page so that none of them could get blind-sided. Strategizing and prioritizing situations before others was what helped the Golden Jackals climb up the ladder of success so quickly. Impulsivity had no place in their lives back then and it shouldn’t have now.

However, this time, Hoseok wanted to be selfish. He’d earned the right to be selfish. He _deserved_ and had _every right_ to be as livid as he was at that moment. Anyone who tried to tell him otherwise was delusional.

“This doesn’t concern them right now.” He cast a sidelong glance to Namjoon, brows furrowing deeply. “Honestly, I don’t even like that _you’re_ with me. You should have stayed in the car like I told you to.”

Namjoon blinked at him, clearly jarred by his words. Or that he’d suddenly grown a second head. “You thought you’d just waltz into Im Changkyun’s business office _alone_, huh?” He snorted. “Yeah, no. Jin Hyung would have my head and I’m a pretty big fan of it staying attached to my neck.”

Hoseok grinned. “That’s not like you, Namjoon-ah. You’re usually the first one to show your guts.”

“Yeah, well that was then. This is now.”

The elevator dinged softly as they reached their destination. The steel doors slid open slowly, revealing a long hallway with a black and red carpet leading from the elevator to a pair of double doors at the very end of the long stretch. There was someone standing just outside the door, but they were too far away to be made out easily.

Hoseok stepped out and strode forward, Namjoon matching his pace. The closer they got to the end of the hallway, the more the person’s face standing just outside the door came into view. When they were only a couple of yards away, they could now tell it was Shownu. He looked between the two of them, a satisfied smirk etching his features. Hoseok peered up at the man who was older and slightly taller than him. His image from five years ago overlapped his current one and a phantom ache throbbed at Hoseok’s side from when he’d been kicked by the man in the rainstorm.

Shownu politely stood away from the door, gesturing toward it. “He’s waiting for you, Jung Hoseok.”

He nodded, casting his gaze over toward Namjoon. “Wait here.”

Namjoon looked like he was about to protest, but then Shownu placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Let’s get a drink, hm? I’m sure they’re going to have a lot to discuss.”

Again, Namjoon looked reticent. But Hoseok nodded, his earlier expression dissolving into a softer one. He saw his friend blink in surprise. He could only imagine what his face looked like, but it probably reflected an old version of himself he hadn’t shown in quite some time. After a moment, he watched Namjoon sigh before nodding.

“If you need anything, call me.”

Hoseok nodded again. “I will.”

He waited, watching the two men make their way back down the hall. Shownu turned off to the left, entering a room and Namjoon followed. But not before he met his gaze one more time. Hoseok took a breath, promising to apologize to Namjoon later, and opened the doors.

The interior of the office was what Hoseok would have expected. Pristine. Clean. Modern. There was the traditional name plate sitting on top of a black polished desk made of expensive and imported wood. The marbling on the floor was flawless and the furniture held a business design with sectionals surrounding a glass and metal coffee table. Elegant art pieces decorated the walls and off to the right was a large window that overlooked the entire downtown area of Myeongdong from hundreds of feet in the air. A wet bar was situated near the small nook near the back.

Hoseok wasn’t impressed, however. This was to be expected of Im Changkyun, the Wolf of the Jade Fangs. He hadn’t climbed up in the ranks and obtained his title of “leader” if he wasn’t capable of this level of eloquence and prestige. His ambition suited his taste in decorating.

Instead of stepping further inside, he remained near the entrance as the doors closed behind him. Changkyun was seated at his desk, immersed in a book of some sort. The computer monitor was situated, visually, to Hoseok’s right. When their eyes met, Hoseok didn’t smile even though Changkyun did.

“Oh, Hoseok Hyung,” he said, closing the book and sliding it just to the side of him, “welcome. I’ll admit, I was a little surprised when I received your call. It’s not often you take the time to come visit me.”

Hoseok heard the bitter edge to the statement but made no effort to acknowledge it. He gave a slight shrug, remaining where he was until he saw Changkyun slowly rising from his plush leather chair. The wheels shifted along the marble floor and it was in that moment that Hoseok reached behind him to turn the deadbolt on the door – synchronizing it to match the sound of the chair’s movements.

“Your boys have been paying mine little visits here and there,” he said, stepping away from the door, “I figured that I should return the favor.”

Changkyun flashed an open-mouthed grin. “Ah, yes. Yes, they have.” He reached up to brush his dark hair out of his eyes. “Is that the reason for this, Hyung? Are the boys getting in your way?”

Hoseok scoffed. “Hardly.”

“Hmm, well that’s no good. I was hoping that was why.”

Slowly, Hoseok made his way to the left of the sectionals in the center of the office. “Because?”

“Because I’m still trying to figure you out, Hyung. I have questions and you haven’t answered them all yet.”

Changkyun’s words didn’t match his expression. Instead of looking inquisitive, he had the look of a man who appeared to have already won the game. It was a look that Hoseok remembered from many years ago – before the Golden Jackals were formed. Before they truly began to understand what the criminal underworld _really_ looked like.

Before Im Changkyun killed the previous leader of the Jade Fangs in cold blood.

“Then let me give them to you.”

Hoseok’s body moved in a blur – matching the speed of his youth which was fueled by his anger alone. He knew he wasn’t in his twenties anymore. He hadn’t been fighting every day like he had years ago when his brothers and he first arrived in Seoul. Their lives were harder, but they were much simpler back then. When they were happier and driven to reach a future they could all obtain together.

He tapped into that feeling and rushed Changkyun’s desk – his trench coat flying off his shoulders and landing on the ground just as he went airborne. Just like that rainy night five years ago, during the gang war on the streets of Gangnam, he watched Changkyun’s smug look melt away as sudden realization washed over him instead. Hoseok cleared the chair at the head of the coffee table and landed on Changkyun’s desk in a crouch.

Jerking his right arm, the switch blade slid from the sleeve of his jacket and landed in his hand. He flicked the blade free, aiming straight for Changkyun’s neck. However, he knew that this wouldn’t be enough for the leader of the Jade Fangs. There was a reason he’d earned the nickname _Wolf_ all those years ago. And it was because of his primal instincts.

Those very instincts came into play as he reached up to catch Hoseok’s wrist. Changkyun tried to pull his arm away from his body, attempting to keep the blade as far from his neck as possible. But just like Changkyun earned his moniker, so had Hoseok. The _Death Claw_ didn’t back down from a fight because he’d looked The Grim Reaper in his face and spit in it.

Hoseok used his free hand to grab at his wrist, fingers locking over Changkyun’s and then pushing his weight forward. What distance was gained was soon minimized as Hoseok leaned in, the tip of the knife moving up and casting a shadow over Changkyun’s face. If he wouldn’t let him take his throat, he would jam the blade straight into his eye socket.

“H-Hyung,” growled Changkyun through clenched teeth as he glared up at Hoseok, “what do you think you’re doing?”

He could feel his arms trembling with the amount of force he was exerting. Changkyun was putting in just as much effort, causing a horrible stalemate that was on the verge of fracturing. The odds evened out as Hoseok watched him reaching up with his free hand to brace against his own wrist – mimicking each other.

“What does it look like?” Hoseok replied, his eyes narrowing darkly, “I’m _answering_ your questions.”

He watched him blinking up at him in confusion. He was a young man Hoseok once believed to be full of potential and drive. Someone Hoseok admired years ago. Before he discovered the depth of his said ambition.

Silence stretched between them, neither of them easing off their stance or their grips. Hoseok felt a bead of sweat slip down his temple just as he saw one sliding down to drip from Changkyun’s chin. There were the occasional grunting sounds as one attempted to overpower the other, but outside of that, no words were spoken.

Changkyun finally let out a choked-out scoff, bitter disappointment evident on his features. Yet he smirked, regardless. “So, this is your answer, Hyung?”

Hoseok mirrored his gaze. “Yes, Changkyun-ah, it is.”

Something passed over the younger man’s face. But it was so brief, Hoseok couldn’t place it. At least not then.

“That’s a shame, Hoseok Hyung. A _real_ shame.” He let out a shaky breath. “But if this is your answer, then I guess I have no choice but to continue the game without you.”

And then he moved faster than Hoseok could have anticipated. He released his hold and Hoseok felt all his weight collapsing forward. The blade nicked Changkyun’s cheek, but it was a sacrifice he willingly made. Hoseok realized this when he saw knuckles sailing toward his face. He pivoted in mid-air, changing his trajectory and his shoulder landed hard on the desk. Changkyun moved to elbow-drop him, but Hoseok whirled his legs into the air to block the assault, slamming his knee into Changkyun’s shoulder before rolling completely off the desk.

However, as he landed on the marble flooring, he felt pain exploding across his back and causing him to stumble forward. He quickly pivoted on his heels just as he saw Changkyun lowering his arm from where he’d had it extended – noting that his punch had, in fact, successfully connected. The two of them heaved, inhaling a lungful of air. Hoseok reached up to dab at the sweat on his brow with the back of his wrist.

A full minute passed before both men lowered their stances, silently agreeing that this discussion was at its conclusion. Hoseok turned to head toward the entrance, scooping up his trench coat along the way. Just as he made to unlatch the doors to the office, he heard Changkyun popping his neck before a breathy chuckle escaped.

“You’ve made yourself clear. So now I’m going to make _myself_ clear.”

Pausing, Hoseok turned to look back at the leader of the Jade Fangs. But he chose to say nothing. Changkyun continued.

“What I do from this moment on, you no longer play a factor into it. What happens after today is a result of the answer you’ve given me. And I’m going to make good on it.”

Hoseok scoffed. “Is that right?” He rolled his eyes, unlatching the door. “We’re done playing this game with you. Do what you want.”

The grin that Changkyun gave him was the most wolfish he’d ever seen and it caused his spine to lock up uncomfortably, even for just a moment.

“Oh, I will. Trust me.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Just remember that it’s nothing personal, Jung Hoseok.”

Dropping the honorific was expected. Hoseok wasn’t surprised. So, instead of giving it credence, he simply exited the office and slammed the doors behind him. He needed to breathe. He needed _air_. So, for now, he would simply text Namjoon to come out when he was ready and that he’d be waiting in the car.

After he vomited his anger into a nearby bush somewhere.


	41. Let Go

"No…but I accept your blame.  
Really, it’s time to say goodbye."

Two weeks had passed since his encounter with Kihyun. Yoongi never would have guessed that seeing Kihyun under those circumstances would rattle him to the core. He’d been uneasy ever since, wondering when he would next run into the man; wondering if he would be better prepared for whatever words would come tumbling from his mouth next.

There was no lingering attachment there. At least not from Yoongi. That part of his life he’d put far behind him. He’d let it go when he traveled to the States and met Eden for the first time. He was able to see someone come from nothing, yet determined to make something of herself. She wasn’t the sort of person who accepted handouts and she always returned a favor – not wanting to place herself in the debt of others.

For the first time in a while, Yoongi thought of his family; the family he’d left behind in Hwaseong. His father, ironically, was the former police chief in the area. His mother ran her business from home, making calendars for people from the photos she’d taken. Yoongi adopted a love of photography thanks to her, but there were few moments when he ventured out with his camera. He just hadn’t had the time for it like he had when he was still a school kid.

Until now.

The shutter clicked wildly as he roamed around one of the parks in Gangnam. Spring was upon them. The blossoms from the cherry trees fluttered in waves on the ground and through the skies. The soft breeze tickled the hairs around his ears, reminding him that he probably needed to get a haircut soon. His legs carried him through the park, memories flooding his mind as he took nature shots and pictures of unsuspecting pedestrians.

There was a time when he would come to the park, usually late at night, with Eden. She hadn’t minded since there were nights when they both worked late. He frowned, recalling the memory of her laughing as she sprayed him with the bottle of water she had in her hand. His hair was drenched and water dripped from his eyelashes and chin, allowing her to get about a five-foot head start before giving chase.

She always let him catch her.

Yoongi sighed, shaking his head to chase the memory away. _Stop,_ he chastised himself, _you need to stop. She’s not here and she won’t be._

An image of Jungkook smiling widely as he embraced her replaced the vision in his mind. He paused in his steps, his hands cradling his camera lowering slowly. They finally fell to his sides and the weight of the camera tugged at the strap around his neck. A heaviness filled his chest until it finally collapsed into the pit of his stomach. Yoongi knew he had no right to feel anything at the sight of them together, whether in real life or in his own mind. The reality was still the same. He’d fucked up and his younger brother was doing the one thing he never had the courage to.

He was honest with the woman he loved.

Yoongi scoffed, reaching up to scratch at the side of his nose. A sardonic smile passed over his features as he admitted to himself that he had, in fact, loved that stubborn woman. That he was _still_ in love with her. But he knew he’d blown it and there was no turning back the clock, no matter how much he might have wanted to. The situation was plain and clear as the daylight breaking through the canopy of trees over his head.

It was over. All he had to do was admit it to himself. _Truly_ admit it.

Taking a few steps, he broke through a row of trees and deviated from the path. In the center of the park was a large rock near a man-made creek. The sunlight was always the best here, shining down without prejudice on whoever wished to seek out its light. His feet shuffled through the grass as he ducked under a low hanging branch, using his hand to shield his eyes from the mid-morning light that threatened to blind him.

Just as he was mentally cursing himself for not remembering to bring his sunglasses, he stopped and stared. For a moment, he thought he was seeing things and began to roughly rub his eyes with his fists. Blinking the prism-like spots from his vision, he looked again and saw that he hadn’t, in fact, been imagining things.

There, on the rock, laid Eden – sprawled out like a tiger who’d just finished devouring a kill that was hunted and sleeping off the heavy meal. Her olive skin glowed in the sunlight and he was surprised to see that she was willingly allowing the sun to touch her flesh. He remembered her saying how she hated the sun because it often baked her to a darker shade of brown than she liked, making her look Middle Eastern at times. Not that she had anything against them, but people were always getting her ethnic background wrong and it annoyed her.

Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, signifying that she was, in fact, asleep. Deep asleep, in fact. The gentle babbling from the creek and twittering of birds served as the perfect ambiance to rest and relax. There was a book opened face down on her stomach and her fingers splayed over the spine, holding it in place. But with each breath she took, it slowly slipped further and further from her hand. At the angle she was lying, the moment it left her fingers it would fall into the creek.

As if predicting the future, Yoongi watched the book begin its descent and he rushed forward, snatching up the book before it could meet its watery end. His heart hammered heavily against his ribs as he sighed, standing to his full height before closing the book. Eden mumbled something incoherent before rolling over on the smooth rock to readjust herself to a more comfortable position.

Yoongi was almost flabbergasted by this. He couldn’t remember a time when she’d allowed herself to be this vulnerable. Unless she believed she was safe, she would always jolt awake to the most innocent of sounds – a knife at the ready in her hand.

His brows furrowed while canting his head to the side. _Is that it?_ Yoongi reached out with one hand, his fingers just barely touching her cheek. _Do you feel safe here?_

She groaned sleepily, causing him to flinch involuntarily. He yanked his hand back, as though he was being struck by a snake. Seconds later, Eden’s phone went off and she immediately sat up – patting her pockets for the item to get it to shut up. Yoongi stood rooted in his spot, unable to flee the scene. He continued to stare at her even as she groggily fisted her eyes to rid them of the sleepy haze sitting on the backs of her eyelids. Eden smacked her lips and then began looking around, her eyes falling on Yoongi.

As she looked at him, Yoongi didn’t move; he didn’t even _breathe_. Eden seemed to gather up her surroundings and the sleepiness in her gaze was quickly replaced with realization. Her eyes widened as her lips parted, prepared to scream at him. Without thinking, he reached out and covered her mouth with his hand, silencing whatever verbal onslaught she had prepared for him.

“Look, before you say anything, this is completely a coincidence,” he explained rapidly, feeling her huffing over his fingers, “so don’t get crazy, okay?”

Slowly, he removed his hand and held his arms up in surrender. She narrowed her eyes at him, the irritation evident. But she didn’t say anything. Yoongi wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or upset by her lack of clapbacks at that moment.

“Why are you sleeping here?”

“It’s a nice day out and I felt like taking a nap,” she said while standing from the rock, snatching the book from Yoongi’s hand. He’d almost forgotten he’d had it. “Sleeping on the rooftop gets too hot and I burn that way.”

“Yeah, I know…”

For a moment, no other words were shared between them. Even though Yoongi had so much he wanted to say, he couldn’t formulate the words the way he would have liked. Everything he tried to start with sounded like an excuse and all the other options made him sound like an idiot. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yoongi sighed as he roughly rubbed the back of his head.

“Eden,” he began, his heart rate escalating a measure, “I just…” Eden’s gaze practically bore into his forehead and Yoongi considered averting his gaze. However, he thought better of it and, instead, cleared his throat loudly. “…I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked quickly, catching him off guard. Licking his lips, he just looked at her as she folded her arms across her chest. “What are you sorry for, Yoongi-ah? Hm? That you got caught or that I’m with Jungkook now?”

There it was. The dig he was waiting for. He’d prepared himself for it, but he didn’t expect hearing her say it out loud to hurt so much. It was like he’d been hit in the gut with a cannon ball, the proverbial wind knocked straight from his lungs.

It was quickly replaced with anger.

“Goddammit, woman,” he snarled, taking a step forward to close what little distance there was between them, “you are fucking impossible, you know that?”

She sniffed, smirking. “I do, actually.”

Eden moved to pass him, but he quickly grabbed her by her upper arm, yanking her back so that she was flush against his chest. A gasp spilled from her, causing her book to fall against the grass as it slipped from her fingers. She tried to jerk free from him, but he squeezed tighter. He saw her brow twitch, probably from how hard he was holding her, but Yoongi couldn’t stop.

His body moved faster than his brain could process, unable to prevent him from doing what he was getting ready to do. Still in his grasp, Yoongi pushed Eden until her back hit the trunk of a tree. The leaves shuddered with the sudden force placed on its surface and she let out a soft cry. Glaring up at him, he matched her gaze as he looked into her eyes – his reflection cast back at him from her dark umber tones. Eden’s lips pressed together into a thin line, slowly blinking at him. But he saw the tell-tale red flare around her neck to show that her anger was mounting with each passing second.

Yoongi pressed his hips against hers, further bracing her against the tree and preventing her from escaping. But she made no move to remove herself from the situation. Whether she believed it was fruitless or if she was unable to was something that Yoongi couldn’t figure out. Her expression was so impassive outside of her clear outrage. She could have pushed him aside, slapped him, kicked him in the shin or, hell, even kneed him in the nuts.

But she did none of that. The only sign of a visible struggle was the flex of her muscle against his fingers. Why wasn’t she fighting back?

“Yoongi-ah,” she said, cutting through the turmoil raging in his head. He blinked, looking at her – _really_ looking at her. But he couldn’t read the face she was making. “What do you want from me?”

“W-What?” He felt his mouth go dry and he involuntarily tried to swallow.

“You heard me.” She lazily blinked again. “What. Do. You. Want. From. Me?”

Eden made a point to enunciate each word of the question. It stung, like someone plucking hairs straight from the root of his head. But it was a question he wasn’t ready to answer. Or maybe he didn’t have an answer. He had every opportunity to fix the problems he’d caused. He had every chance in the world to come clean and he hadn’t. Asking anything from her, even now, would have been plain selfishness.

Yet, Yoongi wanted to be selfish. He wanted to be greedy. He wanted to play dirty and he wanted to be as unfair as humanly possible.

Instead of answering her, he leaned forward and forcefully pressed his lips against hers. He heard her sharp intake of breath and there was a sound of bark scraping from the tree and hitting the grass. Yoongi waited for her to shove him, slap him, or even to feel a sharp pain in his gut as she stabbed him. None of it came.

Nothing happened.

When he pulled back, Yoongi saw Eden’s eyes filling with tears. Whether they were angry tears or something else, he couldn’t be sure. When they finally leaked from her eyes, he took a step back and released the hold he had on her. His breath came out rapidly – like he’d broken the surface of the ocean after nearly sinking to his death.

There was clarity. Absolute clarity.

And it _hurt_ him.

“Eden, I—”

“Wow,” she said, her bottom lip trembling as more tears streamed down her face, “you’re a real asshole, Min Yoongi. You know that?”

He sighed, nodding.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You’re scum.”

He averted his gaze, too ashamed to look at her.

“I know.”

“And you’re the worst kind of pretender.”

He closed his eyes, wincing.

“You’re right. I am.”

Yoongi heard her leaving, her body shuffling through the grass and branches to exit the park. When her footsteps were far enough away, he felt his legs begin to tremble. Taking a step forward, he spun and let his back fall against the tree Eden previously was pressed on. It was still warm.

He looked down, spying the book that still laid abandoned on the grass. He slid down until he was sitting, his hand reaching out to grasp the book and finally looking at the title. Yoongi smiled bitterly.

“_Pride and Prejudice_, huh?”

A pathetic laugh escaped his chest as he covered his eyes with his forearm. It was over. It was _ really _ over. To think otherwise would have been a fool’s errand. Mistakes were made, even now, and Yoongi had no choice but to admit to them. To admit that she was no longer his.

That she never would be.

Hugging one knee to his chest, he buried his face into the crook of his arm and released a painful laugh. “…I’m sorry, Jungkook-ah,” Yoongi whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “Your Hyung is so fucking sorry.”


	42. Wings

** **

"I wanted things I couldn’t want.  
I got hurt and hurt again."

** _Seven Years Ago_ ** _  
Seoul – Itaewon; Yongsan District  
South Korea _

_“I don’t like this.”_

_“Yeah, me either.”_

_Namjoon sighed, looking between Seokjin and Yoongi as their bodies pressed against the rest of the large group gathered inside the warehouse. Hoseok stood at Namjoon’s side, saying nothing. But he could see his gaze shifting around the crowd, as if he were trying to spy someone out. Namjoon had an idea of who Hoseok was looking for, but decided not to tease him about it. Instead, he gently nudged Hoseok on his back and watched his friend move a single step forward. He laughed at the child-like pout forming on his friend’s face._

_“Changkyun-ah said he’d be here soon,” he reassured, watching Hoseok nod before he turned to look at the crowd again._

_He **was** a bit curious himself. Normally, Changkyun would have shown up to talk their ears off by now. But the other members of the Jade Fangs seemed busy talking amongst themselves, completely unbothered by one of the higher tiered members being absent._

_But on that note, Namjoon also hadn’t seen Shownu or Wonho either. There were too many bodies pressed together and for a moment, he almost believed they were going to prepare for a raid of some sort. Yet there’d been no mention of it for weeks when, on days like that, there was a constant buzz of chatter leading up to the day they were to set out in groups._

_“Where’s Taehyung-ah? And Jimin and Jungkook, for that matter?” asked Yoongi as he shuffled against Namjoon, Seokjin right behind him. “I lost sight of them when we got here.”_

_“He said something about meeting up with Hyungwon and the others.” Namjoon rolled his eyes. “He probably dragged the other two off with him.”_

_Yoongi scoffed while Seokjin sighed. “Those kids,” he said, sounding like a disgruntled parent and causing Namjoon to laugh. His laughter abated when he felt Seokjin cuff him on the shoulder._

_“They’re **fine**, Hyung,” he said while looking at Yoongi who appeared less than satisfied with the answer, “they know what to do if things start to get a little crazy in here.”_

_Yoongi folded his arms across his chest. “I know. That’s the problem.”_

_Before Namjoon could say anything further, the wave of murmurs began to escalate in volume. When they looked up to see what the cause of the commotion was, Namjoon blinked in surprise to see Changkyun standing at the front on a stack of crates next to their leader, Park Jongwoon. He had his hands folded behind his back and everyone’s voices began to quiet down as Jongwoon cleared his throat. Shownu appeared on the other side with Wonho standing next to him._

_“Brothers,” Jongwoon began, his dark hair falling over one of his eyes, “it has recently come to my attention that some of you appear a bit…**dissatisfied** with how I’ve been running things. You don’t seem to have any problem reaping the benefits of what I’ve been able to build, yet you have the fuckin’ nerve to complain? Huh?!”_

_Namjoon felt his chest tighten and he could only blink in surprise. He’d had a conversation with Shownu earlier that week where he’d mentioned the very same thing. Namjoon was at least relieved to know they were speaking on the matter privately where no prying ears could have possibly heard them. Shownu was patient and realistic, but also calculating – just as he was. There was no way something like this would have slipped through the cracks so easily._

_Had something **else** happened?_

_“After all I’ve done for you fuckin’ scum, you want to question my position as your boss? Your Hyung-nim?”_

_No one said a word. If someone dropped a pin, it would have sounded like a gun had gone off in the large warehouse. A lump formed in Namjoon’s throat when he looked back up to see that Shownu was looking straight at him._

_“If any of you think you can do a better job, then prove it! I fuckin’ **dare** you!”_

_He felt Hoseok’s back tense up against his arm, as if he’d realized something. A handful of seconds later, he saw Changkyun place a hand on Jongwoon’s shoulder. The older man turned to look at The Wolf, a curious expression adorning his features, but he gave his second-in-command a knowing smirk. Changkyun did the same._

_And then he watched him plunge a knife straight into Jongwoon’s neck._

_The shock and betrayal gave way to suffering as Jongwoon began clawing at his neck – a fountain of red spurting out from the punctured vein. Neither Shownu nor Wonho moved to help him as he stumbled backwards, instead side-stepping their boss to avoid being touched. Jongwoon lost his footing and fell from the crates, his body landing with a hard **thud** despite the distance from the ground being a short one._

_No one said anything. There were no cries of outrage. There were no gasps of horror. There were no sobs of anguish._

_Only silence._

_Changkyun held his bloody hand out, Shownu reaching out to take the knife from him. His shirt was stained with crimson and he idly wiped at the splatters of blood that were on his cheeks – smearing it further along his skin. He took a moment to clean himself, dusting off the backs of his pants, before turning to look back at the rest of the group._

_“I’d say that was long overdue, don’t you?”_

_And then the room erupted into cheers. Namjoon stumbled backwards as the bodies pressed against them, crowding them in their need to jump and holler after just watching their leader being murdered mercilessly before their eyes. It didn’t take him long to figure out just what happened. The look on Hoseok’s face confirmed it._

_No one was surprised because this was the plan._

_It had been the plan **all along**._

* * *

**_Present Day_**__  
Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
South Korea

Namjoon sat perched on the roof of their home in UN Village. His legs dangled off the edge, swinging back and forth purposelessly while smoking a cigarette. He told himself he’d cut back and, in truth, he had. After moving to Seoul, they’d all hit the ground running. Namjoon wound up graduating college a year and a half earlier than expected – interning with a foreign company before landing himself a solid job behind a desk and quartered off in one of the many cubicles.

It was a means to an end. Being a peon allowed him to move freely between floors in the corporate office and with this he was able to hear a few rumors scattered here and there. It was through those rumors that he was able to land an “in” when it came to the underground. At first, he believed it was just an illegal gambling and dice ring. Indulging in this rumor was how he was able to learn about the various gangsters who ruled over certain territories. Others were still fighting amongst each other, trying to figure out the best way to overtake the other in a competition that was always less than fair.

Now that he was thinking back on those times, he wondered if he’d made the right decision. Shownu was persistent, even then. Eventually, Namjoon, Seokjin, Hoseok and Yoongi were all recruited into the fold of the Jade Fangs. They weren’t ready to bring the younger ones in. Not yet. Until they were able to get a feel of everything, to truly understand where their place was among their ranks, the older brothers wouldn’t risk dragging their younger brothers in.

Breathing smoke out his nose, he carded his fingers through his hair in frustration. Things were getting more and more complicated and he didn’t like it. Everything should have been smooth sailing from this point forward, at least from his calculations. Pulling them out of the game ensured that they were free of any obstacles that would attempt to stand in their way. Because they weren’t in the shadows anymore. They weren’t engaging in backdoor dealings and shaking hands underneath the tables. Not anymore.

And yet, here they were, forced into a problematic situation that they should have anticipated, but hadn’t.

He slowly inhaled the smoke into his lungs, savoring the nicotine as it hit the back of his throat. Namjoon’s eyes narrowed slightly as a soft breeze pushed against his chest, causing a few strands of hair to fly errant while freeing themselves from between his digits. The sun was beginning its descent, preparing to sink below the horizon.

_It’s quiet,_ he thought, his eyes narrowing, _too quiet_.

Nearly a month had passed since Hoseok met with Changkyun and there were no movements. None of the boys ran into members of the Jade Fangs and, from what was reported back to them, neither had the girls. Jimin, Taehyung, and even Jungkook believed that whatever Hoseok imparted with the Jade Fang’s _Wolf_ must have hit home; that he must have finally gotten the picture.

But Namjoon knew better. So did Seokjin and Hoseok. The three of them were preparing for the proverbial shoe to drop. Yoongi was a little more on edge these days, but it was something unrelated. Or that was the story he was telling and sticking with it. Namjoon knew better than to pry into his older brother’s affairs. Yoongi had a habit of dredging up old demons, but he often handled them privately and never let it interfere with his tasks. He returned to work as though nothing happened. Namjoon knew he preferred it that way.

As the days turned into weeks, he honestly was considering that Hoseok’s message had, in fact, accomplished something. His friend’s restlessness lacked boundaries, however, and there were more than a few instances where Namjoon urged Hoseok to excuse himself during a long string of business meetings. Instead of relaxing, Hoseok looked so wound up that he worried he would start to bounce off the walls like a spring.

Was this the calm before the storm?

Sighing, he leaned back on one hand as he pulled the cigarette from his lips – tapping off a bit of ash off the edge of the roof. A few low hanging clouds began to circle overhead, darkening from the slowly ebbing sunlight painting the skies. There was a distinct orange and purple haze forming with a smattering of pink. It was a beautiful sight, but Namjoon knew it looked better in the countryside – from their hometown.

His mind wandered to the image of his family; his father’s small clinic and his mother’s pharmacy back in Hwaseong. He hadn’t seen them since the New Year celebration the locals held in their small community. They trusted him to handle his business; trusted him to continue walking the path that he was on, regardless of the whispers that escaped from Seoul back to his childhood home. He hadn’t landed himself in jail and he wasn’t on the local news in front of a podium, apologizing to the world for his crimes. That was enough for them.

An ache began to form in his chest and he unconsciously rubbed at it with his free hand while continuing to look at the sky.

“…maybe we should leave for a little while,” he said to himself.

“Is that what you want to do, Hyung?”

Namjoon’s shoulders jumped slightly. He hadn’t expected an answer. Turning to glance over his shoulder, he saw Jimin making his way toward him. The younger man sidled up next to him, flopping down on the ground to dangle his legs over the edge as Namjoon had earlier. He held his cigarette out to him in offering but Jimin scrunched his nose up while shaking his head, causing him to let out a soft chuckle.

“You haven’t changed one bit, Jimin-ah.”

“Neither have you, Hyung,” Jimin replied gently, leaning over to bump shoulders with him. “You didn’t answer my question.” Namjoon quirked a brow at him curiously. “Is that what _ you _ want to do?”

“Does it matter?”

“It matters to me.”

Namjoon smirked, replacing the cigarette between his lips and biting down on the filter. “It shouldn’t.”

He heard Jimin let out an exasperated sigh. Namjoon played these sorts of word games with them all the time. They still weren’t used to it; or at least they told him as much.

“It does, Namjoon Hyung.” He cast a sidelong glance to his younger brother who was in the process of brushing his chestnut bangs out of his eyes.

His smile fell slightly, and he looked at Jimin for a long moment. After a while, he sighed out a cloud of smoke before looking back up at the sky. The colors were changing again, even in that short amount of time.

“Do you ever wonder what our lives would have been like had I not come to Seoul for school? Had I not asked you guys to come back with me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sure you do, right?” He rolled his neck to look at his younger brother who appeared to be genuinely confused by his question. Namjoon gave a half shrug. “You were the last one to come out here. I didn’t think you would.”

Jimin blinked slowly a few times before averting his gaze to look out over the large expanse of the city. Instead of following his gesture, Namjoon’s eyes remained locked on Jimin’s profile. Another gust of wind pressed against them, causing their hair to fly in various directions. Neither of them bothered to tame the errant locks.

“What’s the point in thinking about it?” Jimin finally said, causing Namjoon to lean back in surprise when he turned to meet his gaze. “It’s in the past and bears no weight on our current situation. Therefore, it doesn’t matter.”

“Jimin-ah…”

“We all made choices, Hyung. Good and bad. They’ve shaped us into the people we are now. I don’t regret that.” Jimin flashed his trademark smile, his eyes shrinking at the corners. “Do you?”

Namjoon suddenly felt a heavy blanket of shame fall over him. To think that one of his younger brothers could be so wise. But it shouldn’t have surprised him. Jimin was always so careful and observant – hardly impulsive like Taehyung and Jungkook. He was the glue that kept them all together, keeping them grounded and silently reminding them what their end goal should always be. What it’s always been.

To live their life on _their_ terms. No one else’s.

He clapped a hand on Jimin’s shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. “You’re right, Jimin-ah,” he said with a smile, “your Hyung lost his head for a moment there.”

Jimin shook his head. “It’s okay if you feel like we should leave, Hyung. No one would blame you for it.” He watched him turn to look back over the city. “It might even be the smart choice for all of us.”

Namjoon nodded, trying his best to rid his mind of the memories of the past. “It might be.” His lips formed into a small grin. “But then what would it have all been for?”

“Then let’s face it, Hyung, head on.” Jimin held his fist out to him. “Together.”

Namjoon bumped fists with him.

“Till the end.”


	43. Dimple

"What’s really dangerous  
is only in your possession."

_Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

Seokjin woke up to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. He stretched his arm, frowning slightly at the vacant space on the bed beside him. It was cold, which meant the person who was previously occupying it was gone for some time. Longer than he would have liked. Huffing like a child on the verge of a tantrum, Seokjin rolled out of bed – his boxer briefs barely hugging his waist. As he trudged sleepily toward the bathroom, he spied the time on the clock and felt himself waking up a little more out of desperation.

It was three in the morning.

“Anastasia,” called Seokjin, knocking on the bathroom door, “are you alright?”

“Huh?” he heard her ask from the other side.

He smiled. “I _said_, are you alright?”

She sounded like she was busying herself in the bathroom, the distinct sound of bottles being knocked over as she scrambled around the sink. Seokjin’s smile faded, suddenly dreading the worst. He grabbed onto the handle of the door, rattling it and coming to a frustrating realization that it was locked. This unnerved him more since she never made it a habit to lock the bathroom door, even when she was doing something as simple as peeing.

“H-Hold on a second, Seokjin-ah!”

There was more movement, a loud _thud_ vibrating from the door as she seemed to stumble into it. There were a few latches being undone and she finally flung the door open. Seokjin took a step back, watching her curiously. She was dressed in her normal baggy tank top, the hem just reaching to her mid-thigh. Normally he would have found this image of her sexy, but her flushed cheeks and slightly bloodshot eyes had him worried. Immediately, his hand went up to rest against her forehead.

“What are you doing?” she asked, squinting her green eyes up at him.

“Checking your temperature,” he answered simply, noticing that she seemed to be running a slight fever. His hand slid from her forehead to grasp at her chin, lifting her face a fraction higher so he could get a better look at it from under the light. “Are you getting sick?”

She blinked up at him. “What? No!” Anastasia gently shook his hand from her face, smoothing her palms down her sides.

Seokjin folded his arms across his chest, taking a lean against the door frame to block her path as she attempted to brush past him. He lifted a brow at her, giving her a look that clearly said he wasn’t buying what she was trying to sell. She pouted and while Seokjin normally would have given into her child-like demands, he wasn’t willing to bend the knee just yet.

“Now that I think about it, you barely touched your dinner.”

Anastasia rolled her eyes, blowing some of her bangs out of her eyes in frustration. “I just wasn’t hungry.”

“I find that hard to believe,” he teased, leaning forward so that their noses were barely touching. He bit his lower lip in amusement as he watched her eyes beginning to cross. “You normally eat really well.”

She frowned. “You tryin’ to call me fat? Huh, Kim Seokjin?”

Seokjin threw his head back and laughed, shaking his head. “As if,” he said while laughing, “stop being ridiculous.”

He watched her raising her hand up, ready to smack him somewhere on his person. He hopped a step back, holding his arms up in defense.

“Oh, I’ll show you ridic—”

She barely got the words out when she suddenly stopped. Seokjin blinked at her, seeing the blank expression clouding over her features. Lowering his arms, he took slow and measured steps toward her. Not sure what was happening, he reached his hands out toward her.

“Hey, Ana?”

Instantly, the hand she was going to strike him with covered her mouth. He saw her chest rise and a muffled gagging noise managed to escape. She whirled on her heels, bee-lining for the toilet as she crouched unceremoniously onto the ground. Seokjin’s heart shot straight into his throat and he was by her side faster than he thought his legs could carry him in the short distance between them.

He began to rub slow, comforting circles along her back while Anastasia seemed to hurl all her insides out into the porcelain bowl. In between shaking breaths she was able to catch, she continued to vomit until it was to the point of her dry heaving. Tears leaked out of her eyes and Seokjin gently wiped them away, not wanting to take her from the moment she was suffering from.

When it seemed she was finally starting to calm down, he helped her sit so her back was resting against the bathtub. Seokjin reached for a hand towel, dabbing at the beads of sweat bubbling over the bridge of her nose and along her forehead. Her entire countenance was paler than normal and she began to rub at her chest slowly, massaging it in case she had the sudden urge to throw up again.

Seokjin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her flush against his side. “Better?”

She shook her head, placing a hand to her forehead. “That was the worst of it, though.” Anastasia ran her hand through her hair. “At least, I _think_ so?”

“Do we need to go to the hospital?”

Like a child being told she needed to get a shot, Anastasia shook her head fervently. Seokjin sighed.

“I think we should go to the hospital.”

“I don’t wanna.”

“Come on,” he said, moving to stand and gently pulling her up with him, “they can at least give you something to help settle your stomach. You need to rest and you’re not going to be able to do that if you’re throwing up all night.”

Anastasia seemed dissatisfied with his answer, but when he pressed his forehead against hers and pleaded silently with his eyes, she seemed to give in. Her sigh was all the answer he needed. Seokjin pressed a kiss to her cheek, urging her out of the bathroom so they could get dressed. Thankfully, she didn’t live far from the local general hospital so it would be a quick cab ride.

They’d be in and out of the doctor’s office in no time.

* * *

“I’m sorry, what?”

Seokjin cast Anastasia a sidelong glance, seeing the sugary sweet smile forming on her lips. Her voice was a soft lilt and her eyes seemed to be sparkling. Anyone who didn’t know her would think that she was extremely happy with what she’d just heard. Seokjin knew better, however. That smile was the smile of a demon preparing to pounce on the person who’d just spoken to her.

Unfortunately, it was the doctor; oblivious to the situation.

“I was saying that congratulations are in order,” the doctor repeated.

He shifted his gaze from Anastasia to Seokjin and he was suddenly keenly aware of the large lump forming in his throat.

“She’s about four and a half weeks now. I must say that she’s showing symptoms rather early, however.” The doctor looked back at his girlfriend and Seokjin had to bite back a yelp as he felt her hand squeezing his in a vice-like grip. “You’re not placing yourself under unnecessary stress, Miss?”

Seokjin’s brows furrowed, feeling her grip increasing further. However, her face gave nothing away.

“Huh? Me?” Again, she squeezed. “Of course not, Doctor. Right, _Darling_?”

He felt a knuckle pop and his lips parted. Seokjin forced a smile when the doctor looked back in his direction, nodding rapidly.

“Y-Yes, of course not.”

The doctor didn’t appear pleased with the answer, but he looked back at the chart in his hands. “Hm, well alright. I’m going to suggest you not push yourself. The first trimester is the most crucial for both the mother and the baby. I’m going to prescribe a regiment for you and I strongly suggest that you abstain from heavy medication and alcohol. _Obviously_.” He looked back at Seokjin, his expression stern. “And _you_, young man, better make sure that she doesn’t experience any undue stress or shock. Make sure she relaxes as much as possible and if she asks for something particular to eat, you better go get it for her. I don’t care if you have to fly to Jeju Island to get it, understood?”

Seokjin nodded, his hand completely numb from the painful way Anastasia was squeezing it. Something fluttered over his chest softly that he barely registered it anymore. The two of them stood as the doctor rose from his chair, placing his glasses into the front pocket of his lab coat.

“I’m going to have one of the nurses give you a packet before you leave. It will contain a helpful dietary and sleep guide for you to look over. It’s not a strict regimen, but I strongly advise that you follow it to the best of your ability.” He ushered them out of the examination room, guiding them down the corridor. Before parting ways, he clapped Seokjin on the back and flashed him a proud smile. “Again, congratulations to you both.”

When the doctor left them alone in the hallway, Seokjin wasn’t sure if his feet were on the ceiling or if his head was on the floor. There was a soft ringing in his ears and he took a step back, the heavy thud of his heart rattling his chest to the point where he could hardly focus on the very act of _breathing_. His world was spinning on its axis, as though he was on a raw tilt and about to lose his balance.

A sharp crack to the back of his head brought him crashing back to reality.

Hissing, he rubbed at his head and turned to look at Anastasia. She was glaring at him hotly, her neck and cheeks turning a rapid shade of red. Her green eyes glistened with the onset of tears and he quickly grabbed her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing slow circles over the fabric of her shirt.

“Hey, Ana, listen—”

“Goddammit,” she said, her voice trembling, “JUST GODDAMMIT, KIM SEOKJIIIIIIIIN!”

Before he could say another word to soothe her, Anastasia was rapidly punching his chest. He coughed, taking a step back and then lifting his arms from the assault she was launching over his entire frame. He felt a sharp pain across his shin and he didn’t have to look to know that she’d aimed a kick straight for him. Seokjin hopped away, trying to escape the onslaught, but she wasn’t having it. Anastasia screamed in the hospital, not caring that she was receiving concerned looks from the other hospital staff.

Seokjin grabbed her, pulling her back into a nearby examination room that was thankfully empty. He held her arms firmly, preventing her from flailing against him again. She cried and screamed, on the verge of collapsing, and he held her against him. Anastasia tried to pull away from him, but Seokjin’s hold was stronger and he refused to let her go.

“This is your fault,” she muttered into the crook of his shoulder, her fists weakly pounding onto his back. Seokjin smiled, holding her even closer. “I…I can’t…”

He carded his fingers through her hair slowly, the flat of his palm resting along the back of her neck. He could tell the fight was slowly starting to leave her, feeling her body sagging against him. His legs locked to hold her weight up, her soft sobs disappearing into the fabric of his shirt. All he could do was stand there silently.

There was a soft knock at the door and a nurse poked her head in, brows furrowing in concern as she met Seokjin’s gaze. He gently patted Anastasia’s back, pulling her away from his chest as a few loose hiccups escaped her lungs. She wiped at her cheeks and eyes with her hands as the nurse handed Seokjin the packet and a few prescriptions.

“Doctor Shin asked me to give this to you,” she explained.

He nodded, holding the packet at his side. “Yes, thank you.”

The nurse gave a warm smile to Anastasia, holding out something the size of a note card toward her. “And this is for you.”

Anastasia took it from her, cradling it between her fingers. He felt her shoulders tensing before relaxing, a sob pushing from her that was quickly smothered with her hand. Wet, green eyes looked back at the nurse and she smiled before making her exit. Seokjin looked down and spied the item in her hand.

It was an ultrasound photo.

“S-Seokjin-ah,” she managed to choke out, a finger pointing toward the little black dimple on the photo, “it’s a baby.”

He turned her toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze. She pressed the photo to her chest, swallowing down another sob and he smiled down at her. Seokjin wiped at her face, ridding it of the tears.

“No,” he finally said while shaking his head. Tears brimmed his eyes, catching her off guard. “It’s _our_ baby, Anastasia.”

The two of them laughed as she dabbed at the corner of her eye. He pulled her flush against him, leaning down to sweep his lips over hers. It wasn’t a kiss of hunger or primal need. It was one of thanks; of gratitude. He was given a miracle and knew he was the luckiest man in the world.

He dared someone to tell him otherwise.


	44. Lost

"To lose your path  
is the way to find that path."

** _Four Years Ago_ ** _  
Seoul – Itaewon; Yongsan District  
South Korea_

_Blood._

_There was blood in the water._

__

__

_Jimin looked like he crawled out of a mountain of pig guts, blood smears littering his face and neck. Droplets of crimson dripped from his earlobe as an angry red trail wept from a cut under his eye. Another slash decorated the bridge of his nose and he reached up to wipe at it. His fingers and hand were completely coated in red – scarlet trails dripping down his forearm and staining his shirt._

__

_A shaky hand moved to turn the faucet off; barely aware that the water was spilling from the sink and onto the floor. It sloshed over his sneakers, soaking his shoelaces and creeping into his socks. He barely noticed as he slowly dipped his hands into the overflowing bowl of porcelain. The water turned an even deeper shade of pink and orange, growing opaque to where Jimin could no longer see his hands inside the bowl._

__

_Water continued to slip onto the floor as he moved his wrists methodically, cleaning his hands as best he could. His eyes lingered on the dirty faucet nozzle until they shifted to spy his rosary bracelet on the edge of the dingy porcelain mouth. The silver cross glinted under the artificial light that barely encompassed the room, reflecting the pale green tiling that covered the room from ceiling to floor._

__

_The light in the room blinked rapidly, spazzing out in time with the flash of lightning that brightened the dark and stormy world outside of the bathroom. Every so often, he was plunged in darkness – depriving him of the image of his horrible visage reflecting back at him in the mirror._

__

_But even in the dark, Jimin could see **everything**._

__

_He could see the body hunched over by the urinals, his neck spurting out blood like a fountain. His arm was twisted back, dislocated until it was eventually snapped in an unnatural way. Blood turned the man’s once white shirt completely red as thick rivers of it pooled from his lips._

__

_An arm peeked out from underneath one of the stalls, the fingers attached to the hand all broken. There was a knife sticking out from the back of the hand as blood blossomed across the tile floor. Near the arm and between the person by the urinals was another body lying face down with one of his arms pulled behind him. There was a white item protruding from one of the shoulders, tearing through the jacket, and upon closer inspection, one would know that it was a broken bone pierced through skin and fabric._

__

_Removing his hands from the pale red water and scooping up his rosary, Jimin shook the moisture from his hands and pivoted on his heels as he slowly wiped his palms down the backs of his pants. Another flash of lightning brightened the room, the clap of thunder rumbling the building and causing bits of plaster to crumble from the ceiling. Jimin crouched down to remove his knife from the man’s neck, more blood spurting out until the fountain grew smaller. Jimin wiped the blade over the man’s clothes to clean it off._

__

_Flicking the blade closed, he slid it into the inside pocket of his blazer. Stepping over the man on the floor, he fished in his pocket for his handkerchief and began to wipe at the blood that was still on his neck while looking over his handiwork. It could have been handled a little less recklessly, but Jimin was forced into a small space and dealing with a trio of idiots who believed they had even a snowball’s chance in being able to go toe-to-toe with him._

__

_Their biggest mistake? Listening to a jealous master who wanted Hoseok dead._

__

_A phone buzzed with life and he paused, silencing his own breath so he could hear where the noise was coming from. He entered the stall and removed the phone from the man’s pocket whose neck he’d broken, spying at the screen. Jimin gently pushed the man off the toilet, dropping the phone into the bowl without hesitation. He watched it continue to ring until the water seeped into the grooves and openings of the device, causing the screen to blink wildly before it finally faded to black._

__

_Pulling his own phone out, he dialed a number and pressed the phone to his face; making sure that it was the cheek he’d just cleaned off. They answered in three rings._

__

_“It’s me,” he said softly, stepping over the bodies as he made for the door, “it’s done.”_

__

_The other person spoke and this caused Jimin to smirk._

__

_“Just bring the cleaners here, Hyung. They’ll take care of the rest.”_

__

_He opened the door, scooping up his rosary beads off the sink and slipping them into his pocket._

__

_“This will make them think twice before trying to come after you again.”_

__

_Jimin shut the door behind him as he hung up the phone, straightening his jacket and slicking his hair back off his forehead. The old building was barely anything to look at, which made the entire situation ideal for this sort of thing. His small group that waited for him bowed to him and he tossed the knife and dirty handkerchief to one of them._

__

_“Get rid of those,” Jimin said, his voice cold._

__

_The young man nodded, wrapping the items and then tossing them into a nondescript plastic bag._

__

_“The talk didn’t go well?” he asked and Jimin grinned._

__

_“It went as I thought it would.”_

__

_The man nodded, the others following on either side of him._

__

_“They should have just listened to you in the first place. Then they wouldn’t have gone out that way.” Jimin cast a sideways glance toward the young man. “Because you’re **The Crimson Claw**, right?”_

__

_“Wrong.”_

__

_The man peered up at him, his expression clearly showcasing his confusion._

__

_“I had no intentions of talking whatsoever. Because I **am The Crimson Claw**.”_

__

* * *

__

** _Present Day_ ** _  
Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

__

Jimin took a deep breath, his hands balled into fists at his thighs. His thumb slowly rotated over the rosary beads, completely in sync with his heartbeat. He mentally counted back from thirty. Thirty seconds; thirty beats of his heart. The world was silent in the small enclosure as tiny slivers of light broke through the small holes around the wooden box. The burgundy curtain of velvet brushed against his knuckles, providing a small sense of relief from the suffocation that threatened to overtake him.

__

The latch across from him loosened as the door opened. Light flooded in from the other side of the diamond grating separating him from the man who was adjusting himself in his seat. When the door closed, they were once again plunged into darkness. Jimin released the air trapped in his lungs, the hand holding the rosary moving to form the sign of the cross in front of him before clasping his fingers together in a sign of prayer.

__

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was three years and six months ago.”

__

There was a pregnant pause, threatening to swallow Jimin up completely. He took another breath, the sweat tingeing his brows as his chestnut fringe clung to his forehead. Jimin felt the priest’s eyes watching him through the grating and he attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. A part of him felt like he was being judged, but wasn’t that expected? It should have been. If it wasn’t, then Jimin judged himself in the stead of his Savior.

__

“Go on, My Child,” urged the priest gently.

__

He tried to wet his lips as he floundered for the words. Jimin cleared his throat as he attempted to formulate his sentences, his hands trembling. He shut his eyes tightly, his mouth forming into a thin line. He knew the priest was waiting for him to continue, but inwardly he wanted nothing more than to run from that small enclosure.

__

It felt like the weight of his sins would crush him.

__

“I’m a Christian, Father, but we believe in The Almighty and his Grace. Prayer alone cannot save me, but I feel that simply writing things down in a journal could hardly be enough to absolve me of my sins.” The words were less heavy on his tongue and he pressed his back against the wall. “The Blood of Christ has granted me penance. I know this. But I am afraid, Father, of the wrongs I have done in order to secure the futures of my brothers and myself.”

__

When he opened his eyes again, they quickly adjusted to the darkness; he was used to this. It was the sunlight that hurt his eyes and made it difficult to see.

__

Old memories flooded his mind, reminding him of the past and of the blood he shed. The metallic taste and coppery odor seemed permanently stuffed in his nostrils back then. His hand was often forced during encounters when he donned the mask of the _ Golden Jackals’ _ liaison. It was his job to speak to others in various districts, warning them that despite being a new group and former _Jade Fang_ members, they were not to be trifled with.

__

They would do things fairly and if that fairness was ever challenged, then it was Jimin’s job to pass the message along in _other_ ways. He was given the name _Crimson Claw_ because he had no issues cutting anyone down that dared to impede his brothers’ paths to success and good fortune. He was merciless when it came to anyone he cared for.

__

This same mercilessness existed quietly in his heart even when they all lived their simple, country lives in Hwaseong. It was the reason why Jimin was the last to arrive in Seoul after Namjoon made his offer to come back with him to the big city – to reach into the dark and dirty underworld and pull out a flawless diamond. Jimin’s life was his family’s bakery and it was always assumed he would take over. He could never admit to how easy it was for him to embrace the life that Namjoon and the others were suggesting they attempt to live.

__

Because he didn’t want to show how simple it was for him to smile in that chaotic world. He didn’t want to worry his brothers, or even scare them away. He was more afraid of losing them than he was of losing himself.

__

Jimin understood the true depth of his heart better than anyone. Because he was a sinner; he _bathed_ in the sin and wore it like a badge of pride. He had no problem hurting anyone if it meant protecting the people who meant the most to him.

__

He would become the devil himself.

__

What worried Jimin now wasn’t the storm that was coming. What concerned him was the possibility of losing himself along the way.

__

“I have hurt people. I have _ruined_ people. We all have. But I cannot confess their sins _for_ them. I can only speak of my own.” He squeezed his fingers tightly together, the beads of the rosary scraping against each other. “I know I cannot bear their sins on my shoulders, but I desperately want to, Father. My brothers are good people; good _men_. They deserve all the wonderful things this life has to offer to them.”

__

“You are very kind-hearted, My Child,” spoke the priest, causing Jimin to look up at him, “and God sees that. He knows what lies in your heart every waking moment of your life.”

__

“If that’s true, Father,” Jimin whispered, “then he knows I’m beyond saving. I’m okay with that, I am.”

__

“You’re alright with being outside of the realm of redemption?”

__

“Yes.”

__

“Why do you say that?”

__

“Because I’ve found my place in the shadows and I will do everything, _ anything _ I can, to keep my brothers in the light.”

__

Jimin peered down at his hands to look at the sterling silver cross dangling from the rosary beads.

__

“Forever.”

__


	45. You Never Walk Alone

"Even if this road is far and dangerous,  
will you be with me?"

There was a part of Raelyn that was ecstatic for the news of her friend’s pregnancy. What friend wouldn’t have been happy? However, there was a worry that lingered in the back of her brain; nagging there like a slowly growing cancer. Only a foolish person would have ignored it. Eden showered Anastasia with the praise that she felt she wanted to hear, and they all promised to go shopping together for the proper baby shower things that would be needed when it came time for the birth.

Raelyn didn’t mention marriage. Neither did Anastasia or Eden. It was the 21st Century and as progressive women, they felt that marriage wasn’t obligatory when finding out that one was with child. The biggest question that remained unspoken was if Anastasia was willing to keep the child? It seemed she was keen on the idea and so Raelyn didn’t bring up the subject. Eden picked up the same vibe and didn’t say anything either.

She felt Taehyung pull her a little closer on the couch, the two of them facing the large television in her common room. Her mind was going a mile a minute and she felt a little guilty for not paying attention to the film. It was one they’d watched before, but regardless of how many times he’d seen it, it was Taehyung’s favorite movie. She even caught him quoting it a few times in jest before attempting to pounce on her for their bedroom play time.

His thumb rubbed small circles around her shoulder, causing her to lazily shut her eyes as she adjusted herself a bit more comfortably on the couch. He used his other hand to tuck the throw blanket a little more securely around her hip while her legs draped over his lap. She felt his head press against her temple, his fringe tickling her forehead.

“Tired?”

Raelyn shook her head.

“You sure?”

She nodded and she felt him laugh slightly, her body shaking in tandem with his.

“What’s on your mind?”

For a moment, she said nothing. What was there to tell? Did she really have anything that was worth bringing up? She doubted it. But there was that inkling that kept pestering her until she knew she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Lifting her head off his shoulder, she looked back at him and he blinked curiously in response.

“Anastasia’s pregnant.” She said it bluntly, gauging his reaction. Watching the corners of his mouth forming into a smirk, she continued. “You heard?”

“Of course I have,” he said, his tone dismissive, “we’ve _all_ heard. Jin Hyung won’t shut-up about it.”

This gave her some relief, but she continued.

“Does his family know?”

Taehyung gave her a look, as if he were trying to surmise the meaning behind the question. Raelyn didn’t offer more to the inquiry. She merely waited patiently for his answer.

“I mean, I don’t _think so_,” he said slowly, lofting a brow, “why?”

Raelyn sat up on the couch, turning her body so she was facing him directly. “Is he gonna tell them?”

Now Taehyung readjusted so he could settle himself into an upright position. “Hold up, Noona, alright? What’s with the twenty questions?”

“Is he gonna tell them or not?”

“I don’t know!” She felt his hands on her shoulders. “What’s going on? What’s _really_ bothering you?”

Raelyn frowned. “I don’t want my friend being treated like some secret mistress, that’s what!”

For a moment, all the two of them could do was stare intently at each other. Neither of them was backing down and Raelyn felt her frown intensify. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she watched Taehyung’s eyes shifting back and forth to look into her own.

There was a chance she probably sounded unreasonable. She knew this. But there was another part of her that felt she had the right to be worried for the future of her friend and for the child growing inside of her. Illegitimate children got a bad rap in South Korea. She’d seen enough of those cases cross her paths while she worked at the hospital. Orphans were often left to fend for themselves because they were abandoned; viewed as a black smear of shame on their seemingly flawless lineage.

With Anastasia being a foreigner, the prejudice was practically doubled. She didn’t want her friend suffering unnecessarily and definitely not for a man. Even if that man was Kim Seokjin.

Realization spread over Taehyung’s face and he let his hands slide down her arms until he was able to grasp her fingers in his palms. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she couldn’t ignore the sharp pain tightening around her chest area. If things were going to get harder from here on out, she wanted to save her friends as much pain as possible. Even if that meant suffering from a little heartbreak. In time, the heart would heal. But when a child was involved, the difficulties increased without even meaning to.

He pulled her forward; she let him. Raelyn pressed her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and relishing in the feel of his large arms encasing her into his chest. She’d never admit it out loud, but she felt safe in his embrace. For a moment, a small one, Raelyn could fool herself into believing that things were normal; that she was in a normal relationship and the chaos that threatened to rip her world apart wasn’t real.

Taehyung’s fingers carded through her curls, bringing her even closer and she sighed. He patted her back like a grown-up comforting a child and she smiled a little. She smacked his back gently to playfully show that she didn’t appreciate being coddled. He continued to pat her anyway.

“Look, Noona,” he began, resting his hand against the back of her head, “I’m not going to be fluffy about this, alright?” Taehyung used his other arm to pull Raelyn fully into his lap. She continued to hide her face in his shoulder. “But Jin Hyung is a good guy. Always has been. No matter what anyone says, no matter who tries to fight against him, he’s going to make sure that the people he cares about are taken care of.”

Raelyn lifted herself up so she could look at Taehyung. His half smile was there and she had to resist the urge to pinch his cheek and pull at the skin. He was being a pest – teasing her for being worried at all. Yet she also knew that he was aware of her concerns without having to give them voice. She appreciated that level of understanding, even if she didn’t always express it.

“Ana Noona is important to him. That is _their child_ she is carrying inside of her. I haven’t seen Hyung this happy in years. He’s happy because _she_ is the one willing to bear their child. Trust him, alright?”

Sighing, she pressed a hand to her forehead and nodded. “You’re right. I think I’m just overly sensitive these days. As a nurse, I know the first trimester is the most important during pregnancy. Anything can happen.”

Taehyung leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. He rubbed his nose against hers, waggling his brows in a playful fashion. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Boy,” she said with a laugh, placing a hand on his face and shoving him out of the way of her breathing room, “if you don’t cut it out.”

He pouted, huffing defiantly before grabbing at the backs of her legs and lifting her with little effort. She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her bridal style and swung around away from the couch. Her eyes widened as her grip tightened to give herself better support.

“Wait, what are you doing?!”

Taehyung flashed her a devious look before he tilted his head to quickly nip at her nose. “I think I’m going to punish you.”

And before she could protest, he zipped across the living room and into her bedroom. Even before the door closed, Raelyn already knew she was in trouble. Because Kim Taehyung was a petty little shit.

When he promised punishment, she knew that that was what she was going to get.

* * *

“…you know—”

“Don’t start.”

“What? I didn’t even say anything yet.”

Eden whirled around in the small kitchenette, pointing her ladle straight at Raelyn.

“You don’t have to. I already know what’s about to come flyin’ out your mouth.”

Raelyn pouted, folding her arms across her chest as she sat cross-legged on the floor. The small round table was already set with three different bowls and sets of utensils. Side dishes were placed around a large, rubber pot rest. Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen as the soybean soup bubbled with life on the small gas range.

“Look,” she attempted again, holding her hands up, “all I’m sayin’ is that—”

“Stop bitchin’ about my place or stop comin’ over,” Eden spat as she turned back to the pot of soup, dipping the ladle inside to stir the contents within, “fuckin’ goddamn.”

“It’s too small and you know it!” Raelyn lifted her chin up, challenging her friend to say otherwise. “I swear, you’d think you’re still poor with how you’re carryin’ on.”

“I _am_ poor.”

Raelyn rolled her eyes. “Says the woman who owns a successful business. Uh-huh. Right.”

“Don’t tell me how to live my life, woman!” her friend yelled, throwing the kitchen towel at her. Raelyn tried not to laugh as she caught it, choosing to hide her face behind it so she couldn’t see the mischief playing out over her features. “Out!”

“But I haven’t eaten.”

“Eat then get out!”

“The food’s not ready yet.”

Eden let out an aggravated noise before resuming her cooking. Raelyn hated to admit it, but she loved teasing her friend. The mixed woman made it so easy. Truth be told, it was less difficult to rile her up now that she was dating Jungkook. The number of smacks she’d received to the shoulder and back when riding her about “being in love” had her sore for at least half a day. But it was all worth it.

“When is that boy getting here anyway?” Raelyn looked around the place, as if she’d missed something. “Shouldn’t he be here already helping you?”

“I told him to go pick up some beer on his way over.”

“Ooo, so domesticated.”

Eden cut her gaze toward Raelyn, eliciting a giggle from the older woman.

“Don’t make me stab you.”

Laughing, she leaned back on her hands and stretched her long legs all the way out across the floor. She lifted her face toward the ceiling, not really minding how small her friend’s place was. But if Jungkook and she were starting to get serious (as it seemed evident), then the small apartment would hardly be enough to handle the two of them.

“He hasn’t asked to move in with you, has he?”

A sudden coughing fit erupted from Eden as she turned to look back at her friend, eyes as wide as saucers. Raelyn shrugged, acting as though she’d asked what the weather was going to be tomorrow.

“What? It’s a simple question.”

“I’d hardly call that question _simple_, Unnie.”

She canted her head to the side. “Well, _has_ he?”

Eden rolled her eyes and resumed cooking. “No.”

“Has he asked _you_ to move in with _him_, then?”

Snorting, Eden shook her head but refused to take her eyes off the pot. “What is with you today?”

“…is it because of Yoongi?”

Raelyn hadn’t expected her words to strike a nerve. But they apparently did. Eden’s hand stilled, the ladle slipping from her grasp and rolling along the rim of the pot.

Neither woman said anything. Finally, Eden craned her neck to shoot a glare at her.

“Where the hell did _that_ come from?”

“Well, is it?”

“Unnie, you better drop this.”

“I don’t see why you guys can’t just move on to the next step already. If you’re not hung up on Yoongi and he’s not feeling guilty about it, then what’s stopping the both of you?”

Eden sighed, picking up the ladle again while turning the dial on the stove to lower the burner. “Give it a rest, Raelyn.”

Raelyn eased herself up off the floor, dusting the backs of her jeans off. “You need to stop beating yourself up for something that wasn’t even your fault in the first place.”

“Who says I am?”

“_You_ are, that’s who.”

“Whatever. God, you’re so fucking annoying right now.” Eden moved from the stove to the small rice cooker to stir the rice inside.

“And _you’re_ still hesitating. Stop.” She crossed the small space, her hand reaching out to grasp her friend’s wrist in her own. Slowly, she turned Eden around to face her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Just stop, hm? You’ve already decided what you’re going to do so why are you trying to backpedal in your head?”

“I’m not backpedaling.” Eden frowned. “I’m thinking.”

“Then stop thinking and just do what you want. Don’t you think that’s what you deserve? What you _ both _ deserve?” Raelyn smiled as her friend gave her a confused look. “It’s not fair to either of you to linger on something that shouldn’t matter. Your feelings come first.”

The door rattled as keys slid into the lock and Raelyn shuffled away from her friend, leaving her presumably bewildered. Raelyn greeted Jungkook as he entered, relieving him of the case of beer in his arms despite his protests. She urged him to get comfortable, giving Eden a knowing wink.

Trust was important. Faith was necessary.

No longer living to wait on the whims of others? Well, that was the most important piece of the puzzle known as “life”. Raelyn knew that now. She wouldn’t let her doubt eat away at her anymore. If a choice needed to be made, then she’d already made it.

She would fight, even if that meant fighting her own self-doubt.


	46. 21st Century Girl

"Whatever other people say, whatever this world tells you,  
you’re the best to me just the way you are."

_“Isn’t it early where you are?”_

“No, it’s only nine.”

_“You look tired though.”_

“A lot’s been going on with my new job.”

_“I’ll admit, I was a little worried when you said you were quitting your other job. Is that even allowed with the visa you currently have?”_

“It’s fine. I applied for another visa through my new company.”

Anastasia sighed, attempting a smile for Jacob. The Skype call had only been going on for about twenty minutes, but it felt like they were talking for hours. She tried to check in about once a week, but with all the hustle and bustle with the company and the ever-blossoming relationship she was in with Seokjin, it was hard to maintain contact in the way she would have liked. Add on the extreme time zone difference and that was how things wound up.

_“Is it harder than working for your old job?”_

“No,” she said while shaking her head, “it’s about the same workload. I have more responsibilities because I technically got promoted when they hired me.”

Jacob nodded, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. It was getting a little longer than she was used to. He would have cut it by now, but he seemed set on trying out a new image.

She watched him take a drink of water. _“Are you happy, Ana?”_

Blinking, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of his question. Had she given any indication that she wasn’t happy? She hoped not. She didn’t want him worrying unnecessarily.

Again, she smiled. “Yeah Jake, I’m happy.”

Anastasia watched her brother’s eyes furrow from the computer screen. She knew it wasn’t because he didn’t believe her. He just worried a lot and tended to fuss over her unnecessarily. It was the role Jacob chose to play since he was the second-born. They were only two years apart, but they were thick as thieves and she appreciated how close they were despite her being the oldest of her three siblings. Their baby brother, Phillip, was still just starting college while Elena just graduated from her university. Their parents were still harping on about practicality when it came to their futures, something that both Anastasia and Jacob despised. They should have all been allowed to choose the paths they wanted to live, regardless of the outcomes.

_“Well,”_ he finally said, shrugging one shoulder, _“as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”_

Relief washed over her and she sank back in her chair a little more, cradling the mug of green tea in her hands. Her hand slid from the handle to press a palm to her stomach, a warmer smile touching her features. She must have looked a little silly because the sound Jacob clearing his throat loudly startled her from her thoughts. When she peered back at the screen, his face was a little closer, as if he was leaning forward to look directly into her eyes.

_“So, are you finally dating someone now?”_

She coughed loudly, sitting up and quickly setting her mug down on the desk by her keyboard. “W-What?” Anastasia attempted to wrangle the words that were escaping her. “What’s with the interrogation anyway?”

Again, Jacob shrugged. _“I know you dated that one guy, but that’s it.”_ He leaned back in his chair, lounging lazily. _“Just figured you were seeing someone new.”_

She felt her cheeks grow warm, her hands fidgeting until Anastasia started twirling a few locks between her fingers. It was a nervous tick that she hadn’t been able to break and there was no sign of it stopping anytime soon. She’d be an old woman pulling at her thinning gray strands until they put her in the ground.

Jacob laughed, realizing he’d caught her in his cleverly laid trap. If he was within arms-reach, she would have shaken him like a rag doll. _“Your face gives away everything. It’s why you suck at poker.”_

“Shut-up,” she muttered.

Another window suddenly popped up, notifying her that she had another call. She stared at the screen as Seokjin’s name and picture appeared in the window. Her eyes lowered to the corner of the monitor, spying the time, and she wondered why he was calling. He’d given her the rest of the week off so she could adjust to all the hormonal imbalances that came with her pregnancy. Talking with her brother was part of the whole routine check-up bit, but she really wanted to talk to him about her being with child.

“Hold on, Jake. I have another call.”

_“Sure.”_

She put her brother on hold, answering Seokjin’s call. When his face popped up on the screen, Anastasia could only stare at how uncomfortably close his face was to the camera. Neither of them said anything. She was too startled to speak and he apparently was trying to read something about her. He did this often when he was trying to catch her in some kind of lie or if she was secretly up to something.

“Seokjin,” she finally said, blinking, “what are you doing?” Anastasia looked over his shoulder to see if he was in his office. “Shouldn’t you be, oh I dunno, _ working _ or something?”

_“Why are you on the computer?”_ he asked suddenly. _“I gave you the rest of the week off to rest. Not so you could stare at a monitor.”_

Anastasia sighed. “I’m talking to my brother. Why?”

_“You can’t talk on the phone?”_

“Phone calls are expensive. Skype is free.”

He gave her a dissatisfied look. _“Are you serious?”_

“Yes, I’m serious! Why are you calling me on Skype if you’re worried about me being in front of a monitor?”

_“Because you won’t answer your phone!”_

“My phone’s dead and I’m charging it!” Anastasia puffed out one of her cheeks. “Geez, you’re impossible.”

He frowned, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes before leaning back in his chair. _“…are you hungry?”_

“Am I hung—what?” She looked back at the clock to make sure of the time. “It’s still early!”

_“You should at least eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.”_

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Anastasia rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be working? Go back to work!”

Without waiting for his response, she hung up the call and went back to the window her brother was on. Jacob was busying himself with scribbling some notes on a notepad.

“Sorry about that.”

He looked up at the screen, setting his pen down. _“Who was that?”_

“A potential headache.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just a headache.”

Jacob smirked. _“Yeah? Sounds like a boyfriend to me.”_

“Jacob Martin!”

He laughed loudly, holding a hand up as he patted the air. _“Okay, okay. I get it. Dropping it now.”_

Anastasia smiled as she sighed, realizing how much she missed her brother being around. He mentioned coming to visit from time to time, but between working and trying to find his place in the world, she knew that it was almost impossible. Air fare wasn’t cheap and while she could afford to fly him out if he wanted, there was the internal worry about him judging her ties with former gangsters. Their home life wasn’t peaches and cream, but it was far from unsavory. What family was perfect?

Even so, she still wondered what her brother would think of her if she told him she was having a child out of wedlock.

Once the heavy topic of her work environment was no longer the focus, the two of them were able to engage in lighter conversation. Again, Jacob mentioned coming to visit her in South Korea, mostly because he wanted to see the country she’d called home for the last three and a half years. The place was full of beauty and splendor. There were many things about the land that helped heal her from the horrible fall she’d had over her broken dreams. While she may not have been a chef and restaurant owner like she wanted, her current occupation brought her to this place.

The path she walked led her to Seokjin, the man she loved.

Half an hour passed and she realized that it was getting late. She worried that she was keeping Jacob up longer than normal.

“You should probably get some rest,” she said, noting the tired look in Jacob’s eyes, “you have the overnight shift this week, don’t you?”

Jacob stifled a yawn. _“Yeah, but it’s fine. I need to make sure that Phillip did his homework.”_

“Let Elena worry about that.”

He nodded, waving a hand back and forth to her. Anastasia wished to ruffle his hair like she often did when they were teenagers. A painful wave of nostalgia overtook her and she did her best not to cry, cursing herself for all the pregnancy hormones throwing her out of whack. Jacob didn’t seem to notice as he finished off his bottle of water.

_“Mm, alright. I guess I’ll try to get some sleep. G’night, ‘Stasia.”_

Anastasia rubbed at her eyes to keep the tears from falling. “Goodnight, Jake.”

The _blip_ noise sounded after the call ended and Anastasia was left with only silence. She curled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs as she buried her face into her knees. A weak sob was all she could muster, mourning the lack of family around her to tell her that everything was going to be okay. That her worries would be for nothing and that she would be happy. That she _deserved_ to be happy, despite all of her failures.

For a moment, all she could do was sob quietly to herself. There were so many missed opportunities to empty her soul to her brother. He would have understood and encouraged her. Jacob would have told her that she was strong, that she was one of the strongest people he knew, and that this little bump in the road was just one pothole on the way to glory. Their parents would have told her she was shameful for carrying another man’s child when she hadn’t even so much as been introduced to his family. That it was a disgrace to have a child as an unmarried woman. People did it all the time, but not her family. Not the D’Angelo’s.

Anastasia didn’t know how long she was curled up in her chair. She was pretty sure that she’d drifted off at some point. Her limbs ached from scrunching herself up into a ball and they protested as she tried to straighten herself out. A hand rubbed at her stomach while the other wiped the moisture from her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Baby,” she whispered, rubbing circles over her belly, “I didn’t mean to cramp you up like that.”

She stretched her legs out, then her arms, before standing. Grabbing the mug, she made her way downstairs. She’d barely made it into the kitchen before the front door burst open and in walked Seokjin, looking flustered and haggard. The mug slipped from her hands and fell into the sink with a loud clatter as she spun around the moment he stalked into the kitchen.

“W-What are you doing?!” Anastasia managed to stammer out, taking a step back as Seokjin quickly closed the distance between them. “You’re supposed to be at work!”

“You hung up on me!”

“That’s because you were acting crazy!”

Anastasia peered around him, hoping that Jimin had the wherewithal to at least follow so she could drag Seokjin back to the office. She frowned, ducking under his arm and bolting from into the living room. He was practically on her heels.

This was insane!

Stopping short, she whirled on her heels and Seokjin had to raise himself up onto the balls of his feet to keep from crashing into her. She stuck her hand out.

“Phone. Now.”

He blinked down at her. “What? No!”

“Gimme the phone, Seokjin!”

His eyes narrowed, issuing his silent refusal. Anastasia didn’t care as she took a step forward, her hands lunging out to reach into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He wasn’t fast enough to move out of the way and her fingers quickly found the item. When he tried to snatch it back from her, she twirled so that her back was facing him.

Her thumb slid over the dots to form the pattern needed to unlock his phone and she immediately dialed Jimin. As the phone rang, Seokjin tried to take the phone back but Anastasia was already half running, half jumping up the stairs toward the loft. Jimin answered before the second ring could finish.

_“Hyung! Where did you go?!”_

“Jimin-ah, you tell your boss to take his ass back to work!”

_“A-Ana Noona? What are you—?”_

“Do you hear me?” Her feet landed on the top step and she turned around to stick her foot out, her heel planting itself against Seokjin’s chest to keep him from moving any closer to her. “He has _five_meetings today and one of them is in twenty minutes. How could you let him leave the office in the first place?!”

_“I’m sorry, Noona. I tried! But Seokjin Hyung hit me. He hit me in the chest and I was horrified!”_

She shot him a glare. “He did _what_ now?”

_“He’s never hit me. I didn’t know what to do! I was caught off guard! I’m sorry. I’ll come over right now.”_

Anastasia hung up the phone and tossed it back to Seokjin. She then pointed downstairs. “Out.”

He pouted. “Anastasia, come on…”

“Go back to work!” Her eyes narrowed. “If I end up having to take you _back_to the office, I’m going to work and I’m gonna make every second of your life a living hell while I’m there. Do you understand me?”

Seokjin gave her the once over, as if trying to surmise if she really would do it. He knew better. At least she _hoped_ he knew better. She was as stubborn as a mule and if he thought, for even _one second_, that she was playing around, then he’d rue the day he ever hired her. She wasn’t going to back down from this and an angry pregnant woman was not a variable that Kim Seokjin would be in a hurry to deal with.

After a moment, he sighed and leaned against the wall. “…alright, you win.” He held his hands up, turning to head downstairs. “I’ll go.”

She stayed upstairs, waiting to hear him put on his shoes and open the door. When she didn’t hear it close, however, Anastasia smiled and shook her head. “I’ll see you tonight,” she called down to him, “have a good day.”

“…love you.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly and she walked down a few steps so she could see his pitiful face.

She laughed.

“I love you too.”


	47. Euphoria

"You’re the sun that rose again in my life;  
a reincarnation of my childhood dreams."

Jungkook groaned softly, his brows furrowing as a beam of sunlight sliced across the backs of his eyelids. A hand immediately went up to shield his face, frowning upon being roused from the deep sleep he was enjoying. When he shifted, he felt a weight on his arm and quickly froze. Craning his neck slightly, he lifted himself up a measure to see a curtain of dark curls draped against light brown skin. Jungkook gave a sleepy smile, his hand reaching out to brush Eden’s hair from her neck. She moved away from him only a little, a child-like moan of protest issuing from her and he watched the sleeve of her sweatshirt slip away to expose her bare shoulder.

Taking a moment to card his fingers through her hair, Jungkook leaned forward and pressed his nose into the juncture of her neck – inhaling her scent slowly. His lips were feather soft against her skin, his hand moving from her hair to smooth over the curve of her shoulder.

He would never get tired of this; of _her_.

These moments were his favorite. Jungkook felt like it was a journey around the world to finally breach her barriers, but Eden wasn’t exactly a vulnerable human being. She’d been hurt so much in her past that trusting others was difficult. She’d said as much. Hurt by people she opened her heart to; hurt by people she trusted to show her more delicate side.

Her stubbornness only urged Jungkook to pursue her relentlessly. He knew what it was like to feel alone in the way that she did. He understood her need to reach out and then pull back at the last second, doubting what she saw in front of her.

Even he felt the same despite the brotherhood he’d developed with his childhood friends.

Readjusting the arm she was laying on, he slid his hand beneath the sweatshirt so his fingers could slide past the underside of her breasts. Reaching over her waist, he pressed his large palm over the flat of her bare stomach and her abs tightened from the chill of his rings contacting her skin. Eden stirred in his arms and he watched the goosebumps form on the back of her neck – his hand gliding between her legs. Dipping beneath the fabric of her panties, he let his long fingers take pleasure in the warmth of her folds.

His lips caressed the curve of her jaw and he could feel his erection pressing into the small of her back. Jungkook wanted her; wanted _this_ forever. He wanted to show her that it was okay to fall into a river of passion without the risk of drowning in it.

He’d never let her get swallowed up alone.

“Jungkook,” she mumbled, “what are you doing?”

Her voice was thick with sleep. It was deep and raspy, and it made Jungkook want her even more.

Eden turned in his arms, forcing his hands to cease their movements much to his disappointment. The bleary look of sleepiness on her face, however, only made him smile instead of pout. She rubbed at the backs of her eyes with the heels of her palms and he pulled her closer against him. A hand slid down her long, bare leg and he hiked it up to rest her thigh on his hip.

He leaned in closer as she finished rubbing at her eyes, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Good morning,” he greeted, and he chuckled when she opened one eye to look at him. “Sleep well?”

She tried to turn away from him, presumably to go _back_ to sleep, but he held onto her leg tightly – making it impossible for her to flop onto her other side. Eden tried to pull away a few more times before finally giving up. Expecting a glare, however, he was surprised to feel her lunging her body forward to slam her chest against his. A grunt pushed from his lungs in response and he could only stare wide-eyed at the wall as she nuzzled her face into his chest.

He tried to wrangle his emotions, mentally kicking himself for still acting like a child with a schoolboy crush as his heart thrummed heavily against his ribs. She seemed to pick up on this immediately, feeling her smiling against his skin.

“Don’t you laugh,” he said, his eyes meeting hers as she peeked up to look at him.

He saw her grin widen. “Or what?”

“You’re going to get a spanking.”

She laughed outright. “Promises, promises!” she replied, her hands snaking up along his sides and it was too late before he realized what she was getting ready to do.

Jungkook let out a sound that was a cross between a squeak and a yell. He felt her fingers dipping into his hips before they scurried over his ribs and at the tender spots just below his armpits. Flopping around like a fish to escape her, he crashed onto her apartment floor tangled in blankets and sheets. When he finally managed to free himself, he saw Eden dashing out of the small bedroom and into the bathroom.

Letting out a groan, he buried his face into the mattress – resigning himself to being on breakfast assignment the minute he heard Eden turning on the shower.

It didn’t take him long to get dressed into a pair of comfy sweatpants and a grey hoodie. Not caring that his fringe poked out from beneath the hood, he sprinted down the long street until he was able to reach the convenience store a block away. He bought two small cartons of milk – one chocolate and one strawberry – some Danishes and two sausages on a stick. He quickly paid for the items and dashed out of the store – the plastic bag rattling at his side as he opted to walk back instead of running.

Patting one of his pockets, he scratched at the side of his nose impishly. Jungkook was glad that Eden decided to take the day off to rest. Taehyung agreed to handle things at the recording studio for the time being and there hadn’t been any real reason for him to help his other brothers with their affairs. Though originally she opted to take more time off from work so she could support Anastasia (who was, for all intents and purposes, carrying his niece and/or nephew), Jungkook wasn’t about to let such an opportunity pass him by.

Jungkook reached the stairs to the rooftop apartment and climbed them slowly. When he made it to the top, the image he saw was completely unexpected. He had to rub his own eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly.

Eden was outside, pulling laundry off the lines. One set of sheets threatened to blow away from the sudden gust of wind and she chased after it – laughing at the potential crisis that was about to happen. She managed to catch the bedding just before it flew off the roof, her body leaning over the edge. Jungkook almost moved after her, but when he saw her body spinning around and away from the ledge, he stopped and continued to look on as she let the sheets fly behind her. Music played from her phone on the ground nearby and she seemed oblivious to his presence.

He remembered reading about nymphs in a Greek mythology book once when he was younger. He didn’t particularly believe in the supernatural, but he believed that there were people beyond human understanding. Whether they were humans or something otherworldly was undeterminable, but in that moment, he swore that Eden wasn’t of this world. The way her hair flew behind her as she ran around with the sheet, laughing so freely, he believed that she was a mythical nymph.

Jungkook dropped the bag and this seemed to knock Eden out of the trance she’d placed herself in. Her bare feet came to a halt and the sheet fluttered against her back – gathering in a strange bundle at her heels. She blinked, brushing some of her wet curls behind her ears.

“Oh, Jungkook-ah,” she said, wrapping the sheet around her shoulders, “you’re back.”

He said nothing. He could only look on as he took a step toward her.

“Where’d you go?”

Again, he couldn’t say anything. Even if he wanted to, the words just kept running away from him; tumbling from his brain. All he did was take another step forward.

And another.

And another.

And another.

The distance between them was short, but it felt like it took him half a lifetime to get to her. When he did, all he could do was gaze down at her confused face. She blinked up at him and he reached out to tuck more of her hair behind both of her ears.

Neither of them said anything. He just continued to hold her face in his hands, a warm feeling spreading throughout his chest and reaching up to wrap around his throat. She must have seen something in his gaze because she placed a hand on the back of his – stirring him out of the hypnosis she’d unknowingly put him under.

“Hey,” she called to him softly, “are you okay?”

Jungkook shook his head. “No,” he said gently, “not yet.”

Before she could ask anything further, he took a step back and then slowly lowered himself down onto one knee. He reached into his pocket, fishing out the item that he’d been carrying with him for the better part of a month. The velvet blue box was revealed and Eden dropped the sheet to the ground completely. Her eyes widened, tears instantly filling them the moment he opened the box to show the white gold band with the soft blue gemstone situated on the gem mounting.

“Ya,” Eden managed to choke out as she covered her mouth, “w-what are you doing?”

When she took a step back, Jungkook’s arm moved with lightning speed and he caught her wrist – halting any and all escape attempts. When he felt her resisting him, his thumb dug into her skin to secure the hold he had on her.

“Noona,” he called to her, his mouth suddenly feeling dry, “please…”

He hadn’t meant to sound so pathetic. But the words felt like sand on the tip of his tongue and he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to repeat what he was about to say. Eden’s cheeks were streaked with tears, but her body seemed to relax a little more. Taking comfort in this, Jungkook’s fingers slid from her wrist to hold onto her hand.

“I wish I had the right words to tell you how I feel.” Jungkook could barely hear his own words, muffled under the sound of how loud his heart was thundering in his ears. “But the only thing I’m confident enough to say is that I love you. I love you _so_ goddamn much.”

Jungkook curled his fingers into her palm, pulling her toward him a half step. The sheet was abandoned as her bare feet shuffled forward. He watched her wiping at her cheeks with her free hand, silently waiting for him to continue.

“I know I probably don’t deserve the moments you give me, but I’m thankful that you do. I’m grateful that you decided to give me a chance. To give _us_ a chance.”

He pulled her arm forward so that he could press his forehead against the back of her hand.

“It’s going to take some time, I know, but…” Lifting his face to look at her, he gave her a weak smile. “…will you also give me the chance to occupy every inch of your heart? Will you let me stay there forever once I do?”

Eden’s facial expression didn’t change. He saw the tears continuing to fall despite her efforts to clean her face with her free hand. He felt a heavy weight on his chest and was sure he’d pass out from the pressure building there.

“Eden McGee…” Jungkook held the box up a little higher. “…will you marry me?”

Everything was silent except for the breeze that blew through the skies, causing the laundry to flutter on the line.

Then he heard it. A half sob, half laugh. Jungkook blinked and saw the most unguarded look on Eden’s face he’d ever seen. When she wiped her nose with the back of her wrist, she nodded and laughed again. Jungkook let go of her hand long enough to pluck the ring from the soft silk bedding inside the box and slip it onto the appropriate finger. He figured she would take a moment to admire it, but the moment his hand left the ring, Eden threw herself into his arms and hugged him.

Jungkook wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting both her and him up off the ground. He spun around and peppered her face and neck with kisses. Again, she laughed, wrapping her legs around his waist.

This was the beginning of the rest of their lives.

Together.

* * *

Jungkook fiddled nervously with his vest, straightening the garment for the dozenth time while Jimin watched from a corner of the room, biting back a smile. He glanced over at him and sighed, shaking his head. “Is it normal to be this nervous? I love her. I want to marry her.” He stared back at his reflection in the mirror. “So _why_ am I so nervous?”

Jimin pushed himself off the wall and approached Jungkook, grabbing his shirt collar and straightening it out, smoothing down the corners with gentle fingers. “Because you love her. Because it’s a big step.” Jungkook frowned a little, which caused his brother to smirk. “There’s a million reasons why you’re allowed to be nervous, so stop being nervous about _being_ nervous,” he said, patting his cheek. “You love her. She loves you. It’s that simple.”

Jungkook couldn’t help the shaky sigh that managed to escape him. Jimin was right and he knew that. Sometimes it was better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Jungkook rarely followed such a principle, but today was the day he would. He had to.

Two weeks had passed since Eden accepted his proposal. Once emotions were finally settled, they had a lengthy discussion and both agreed that it was probably in the best interest of everyone to marry in secret. With Anastasia pregnant, Raelyn busy with her hospital work, and the rest of Jungkook’s own friends focusing on staying off the Jade Fangs’ radar, it was better to just have a small ceremony between the two of them.

They still needed a witness; someone they trusted implicitly.

Jimin didn’t fuss or fight against any of it when Jungkook brought it up to him a week ago. In fact, it surprised him how readily he was willing to accept the role. Jimin reassured Jungkook that he just needed to focus on getting ready and planning the best honeymoon he could for his future bride. It wasn’t the most extravagant place, but it was important to him and Jimin agreed that Eden would appreciate it more than some trip to a resort on a remote beach somewhere.

Jungkook grabbed Jimin’s hands and gave them a squeeze before stepping back, looking at his brother – the one who was constantly giving him words of wisdom while fussing over him at the same time. “Is it really, though?” he asked, almost pointedly.

He watched Jimin raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything further. When he didn’t, he patted his cheek again with a wry grin. “You have nothing to worry about, Jungkook-ah. It really _is_ that simple for you. Eden loves you. She wants to marry you. So go out there and get married. You’ve both done so much with your lives and you have so much more left to do.”

What he said made sense, of course. He loved Eden more than he’d ever thought possible. He’d never met another woman who stirred the same kind of emotions in him than she had. Jungkook knew that he probably never would; not in this lifetime, anyway.

He gave his brother one long look before relaxing, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile. “You’re right. Just…I want you to be happy, too, y’know?”

“I _am_ happy.” Jungkook winced when Jimin flicked his forehead and he rubbed at the sore spot. “Now, stop being so twitchy. Relax. Put a smile on that ridiculously handsome face of yours and go out there so you can greet your lady and, you know, _marry_ her.”

He laughed and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Well, do I look good, at least? Come on, Hyung, you’ve got to help me out, here.” He gestured at himself, indicating the suit he’d chosen to wear.

The soft gray and black pinstripe suit stood out against the taupe stained walls of the chapel waiting room, bringing out the darker tones of his eyes. He’d thought it was appropriate. Black seemed too somber a color, and he was ready to start a new chapter of his life - one with his soon-to-be-wife - with energy and positivity.

Jimin snorted softly and reached up to ruffle his hair, though he smoothed it back down after. “You look fine, Jungkook. Handsome and happy. You’re lucky to have each other. Now, let’s go get you out there. We don’t wanna keep her waiting. She just might change her mind and run off.”

They left the room chuckling together, Jimin following slightly behind him, as if he were herding Jungkook along. And he may very well have been. Jungkook's nervousness aside, he knew he wanted to see Eden more than anything. And though none of them were terribly superstitious, Jimin managed to convince him not to try and see his future wife before she was walking down the aisle.

Jungkook tried not to start fidgeting again, Jimin silent and reassuring at his side as the priest stood at the front of the chapel hall. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves as his white gloved hands wrung against each other. Jimin placed a hand on his shoulder, causing what nerves remained to drain out of him. He met his brother’s gaze and smiled, the two of them turning as the door to the chapel opened.

A few scant moments later, he saw her. Eden. She stepped out, into the light, and his breath caught in his throat as he looked at her, unable to see anywhere else. She was beyond beautiful. Of course, he already knew that. But in the soft light reflecting off tan walls and pooling through stained glass windows, her simple off-white dress that stopped at her knees seemed to radiate light. Jungkook couldn’t hear the music of the pianist; he didn’t see the priest or his brother.

Nothing and no one existed except her.

The ceremony itself was a blur, both too fast and too slow. He didn’t even really register what was said, or by whom. Rings were exchanged - again - their shining surfaces and dark patina a testament to their age. Jungkook had the rings engraved with the date of their wedding.

The vows were said, rings on each other’s hands, and he was kissing her, their lips finding each other. He would have stayed like that for much longer, but someone cleared their throat, a reminder that it could wait for later. They separated and he looked down at Eden, his dark eyes swirling with desire and pure happiness.

They were married. She was his wife. From now until the end of their lives, and beyond. From this moment onward, they were a true team; partners in every sense.

_Ride or die._


	48. DNA

"We’re completely different baby.  
Because we’ve found our destiny."

_Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

There were few expectations that Kim Taehyung had in life. He expected to wake up, have breakfast (and by breakfast, he had every intention of making love to his woman), shower, eat _actual_ breakfast, and then continue with his day. His work was always different; working with artists of various talents. It didn’t have to be in the music industry. Taehyung found promising artists of all forms of medium in his line of work. Some nights he worked late. Some nights he came home early.

These were all _normal_ expectations.

What he _didn’t_ expect was to come home to a lovely ceramic plate flying at his head.

Instincts took over rationale and he quickly dodged, the plate shattering into half a dozen pieces against the wall. When he looked up, he saw Raelyn preparing to aim two coffee mugs at him from the kitchen. She lunged one at him and he dipped around the corner as it smashed into the wall.

“W-Whoa!” he yelled, peeking around the corner, “Raelyn, what the hell?!”

She said nothing. Raelyn chose to chuck the other mug in her hand instead of answering him. Taehyung ducked behind the wall again. He hurried out of his shoes and shrugged his coat off his shoulders, letting it land on the floor. Taehyung raced into the kitchen just as Raelyn began reaching for the carving board; presumably to beat him with. She yelled at him, a host of incoherent sounds tumbling from her, and he wrenched the heavy board from her hands and tossed it onto the counter.

He ignored her banging on his chest and only winced when she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. Taehyung did his best to put a lid on his mounting anger and, instead, chose to focus on the fury painted over his girlfriend’s face. He reached out to grab her wrists, holding them firmly between them and forcing her to finally look at him.

“Raelyn!” he yelled again, his voice booming off the walls and causing her to be still for even half a second, “What’s the matter? Tell me what the fuck is happening!”

But she didn’t say anything. All he saw was the onset of tears brimming her eyes until they, too, spilled down her cheeks. He searched her gaze, looking for a clue that would tell him _anything_ about what forced her to go into a frenzy. He watched her fingers curling into fists as he held her wrists securely in his grasp, her chest rising and falling with how heavy she was breathing. He was so confused.

Until his eyes rested on the counter and he saw a pregnancy test. There were two faded blue lines on the applicator. His grip suddenly slackened and his arms fell at his side. Raelyn didn’t resume her punching assault. She covered her eyes instead, sobbing into her hands. It only took a moment for him to realize what was happening before his vision went vertical for half a second. Shaking his head, he tried to get his head right as it attempted to swim.

“H-How long?”

He grunted when he felt Raelyn punching his shoulder. “I don’t know! A month! Maybe longer!” She angrily wiped at the tears on her face. “I won’t know until I get an ultrasound done.”

Taehyung rubbed at his shoulder absentmindedly, stopped, and then smiled widely. He saw Raelyn aiming to hit him again, but he shifted and grabbed her by the hand. “Then let’s get one done.”

“Are you _crazy_?!”

It was hard to keep his smile from growing, but he tried. The flustered look on Raelyn’s face, however, had him dissolving into a small giggling fit. She tried to break out of his hold, successfully freeing one hand. She immediately used it to punch him repeatedly on the shoulder. This only forced him to laugh even harder and he began holding his sides.

“You think this is funny?! HUH?!”

Before Raelyn could assault him again, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up. She kicked her legs back and forth, wriggling in his hold, but he only buried his face into the juncture of her neck. He continued to laugh until he felt tears leaking out of his eyes. He hadn’t meant for her to see it, but she must have felt it because she slowly went limp in his arms. Her hands settled on his shoulders as he held her aloft, her feet dangling off the ground and resting along his shins.

“T-Taehyung-ah,” she said gently, moving her hand to curl at the side of his neck, “are you alright?”

He didn’t want to let her go. Not yet. He continued to keep her close to him, her body still in the air and pressed against his chest. His laughter died off and he wrapped his arms even tighter around her waist. She didn’t protest or fight him, instead choosing to card her fingers through his hair until her digits were pressed against the nape of his neck.

Taehyung nodded his head, setting Raelyn down slowly until he felt her feet resting on the floor. He pulled back and she looked up at him, brows knitting together in concern. His smile remained, a little softer, and he let his hands trail down until he could curl his fingers into her palms. Small tears spilled out of the corners of his eyes and he gave a half laugh, using his shoulders to swipe away the moisture on his cheeks.

“I’m better than alright, Noona.” He pulled her a little closer. “I’m so happy.”

Raelyn looked unsure. “You are?”

He gave an emphatic nod. “Yeah, I am.”

This seemed to almost stun her, but she didn’t say anything. Not immediately. He could sense her reticence. He knew there wasn’t anything he could do to chase that little bit of doubt away, so he simply waited. He waited for her to process things the way she often did – usually a handful of minutes of cogwheels turning in her mind.

Finally, she sighed as he saw her shoulders sag a measure. “But why?”

He knew this was coming. He was ready for it. Taehyung always knew he’d be ready if the conversation ever led to this topic. He just never expected it to happen so quickly.

“Because,” he began, taking a breath, “I’ve always wanted to be a dad.”

Again, Raelyn said nothing. She just waited for him to continue, knowing he would.

“I’ll admit it, I was jealous of Jin Hyung a little when he told us that Ana Noona was pregnant. Maybe there was a part of me that selfishly wished you were pregnant too.” A measure of guilt wormed around in his heart and he let go of Raelyn’s hand to rub at the tender spot in the center of his chest. “I know that it isn’t just about me, though. It wasn’t on purpose. I know we were both careful and I—”

Raelyn shook her head. “No, these things just happen sometimes. Use all the protection in the world, but that isn’t a hundred percent preventative. There are instances where it can just…happen.”

He smirked. Hearing her logicalize the situation made his girlfriend even more endearing. Bringing rationale into the relationship was her way of processing and analyzing things. Raelyn was hardly what anyone would consider an impulsive individual. In an unexpected situation, she was doing her best to keep a level-head once the initial fallout of emotions was finished.

Leaning forward, he peered into her face and she, in turn, leaned back so he couldn’t completely crowd her space. “You still mad at me?”

He could see her struggling not to smile, her eyes averting his gaze to keep her expression as flat as possible. “…maybe.”

“You sure?”

“No.”

“Can we go get an ultrasound now, hm?” Swaying their arms back and forth, he pushed out a small whine. “I wanna know if we’re gonna be parents or not.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” Raelyn said, slipping her hands from his so she could head to the coat closet in the living room, “get your jacket. It’s cold.”

Taehyung scampered behind her, letting her arms shrug into the coat. He made sure she was fully zipped up, holding her hand as she put on her shoes. It took him no time to throw on his padded coat and hop into his boots. He had to keep himself from all but dragging her out of the complex, half tempted to carry her all the way to the hospital.

He was anxious to know if he was already building something with his own two hands.

* * *

_Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
South Korea_

“What did you just say?”

Taehyung kicked his legs back and forth at the island in the kitchen, cradling the glass of wine in his hands. Yoongi screwed the top to the whiskey bottle closed, setting it on the counter. He seemed to be scrutinizing over what Taehyung just told him, leaning back on the counter and crossing one foot over his ankle.

Instead of answering, however, Taehyung grinned and took a sip of wine. Yoongi’s brows twitched in frustration, not known for being the most patient of people in their inner circle. He wouldn’t be able to get away with keeping his mouth shut for much longer.

“Where’s Jungkook?”

Taehyung decided to change the subject instead.

Yoongi snorted, not blind to his little avoidance method. “Hwaseong,” he replied easily, lifting the glass to his lips.

“Huh?” Taehyung blinked. “Why did he go back to Hwaseong?”

“He and Eden are on a trip there,” replied Yoongi, crossing the kitchen to sit in the chair across from him, “said something about wanting to show her our hometown.”

“What? Really?” Taehyung laughed while leaning back a bit. “Our _maknae_ is so sentimental. Never expected him to take his girlfriend to our country town.”

Yoongi didn’t say anything. Taehyung saw his older brother’s expression shift, but barely. He’d heard from Jimin that Yoongi and Eden were together once. For _years_. Yoongi kept it a secret from all of them for an indeterminable amount of time and while Taehyung was never one to pry into the affairs of others, he had to admit that he was a little shocked to discover the person he often left them for was Eden McGee.

_Will wonders never cease?_ he thought, watching Yoongi’s movements carefully. _And now he’s forced to watch the woman he cared for engage in an intimate relationship with his youngest brother…_

Setting the glass down on the marble counter with a whisper, Yoongi took a breath and looked at his watch. Something seemed to pass over his brother’s expression, something that anyone who didn’t know Min Yoongi would have missed. It was something that Taehyung would have missed had he not been paying attention.

He blinked at Yoongi from across the table, the older man refusing to meet his gaze.

_…he **still** cares about her._

“When are you going to tell Hoseok about Raelyn?”

Yoongi’s words smashed through his thoughts, like a rock crashing through a window. For a moment, Taehyung felt his heart jump into his throat – getting stuck there. He tried to swallow down the uncomfortable feeling, internally praying that Yoongi dropped the subject. The truth of the matter was that Taehyung wasn’t sure when – or even _how_– he was going to bring it up to Hoseok in the first place. It wasn’t like it was light dinner conversation material.

Hoseok was level-headed. While Taehyung knew that his brother had already accepted his relationship with Raelyn, there was no telling how he would react upon hearing the news of her pregnancy. It wasn’t like it was with Anastasia. There was a good chance that Hoseok would simply take it in stride. On the other hand, he could explode.

Like a time bomb.

Clearing his throat, Taehyung drained his wine glass and set it down roughly on the counter. “Do I have to?”

He resisted the involuntary need to flinch when Yoongi’s dark eyes glared openly across at him. “…are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.” Taehyung said it out loud to convince himself.

Yoongi steepled his fingers together. “Don’t you think it’s a little irresponsible _not_ to?”

“No,” he said a little more confidently, “it would be _irresponsible_ to tell him when I don’t have my shit together. I want to tell him as a brother who is proud of the news, not some kid wanting his parents to fix his mistakes.”

For a while, all Yoongi did was stare back at him intently. The weight of his gaze made Taehyung’s breath shorten a measure, but he refused to have his resolve shake. He knew that Yoongi was the most practical of them all, willing to chop away any hindrances to their existences without hesitation. In a way, he could be even more ruthless than Hoseok.

Finally, he shrugged and stood from his chair. “It’s your choice,” Yoongi said while turning to head to the sink, “just make sure you don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Taehyung frowned. “What do you mean?”

He heard Yoongi scoff. “Don’t play dumb, Taehyung-ah.” He turned to glance over his shoulder at him. “You know things are going to get messy once the Jade Fangs decide to make their move.”

“Let them,” he said, standing from his chair, “it’s not like we aren’t ready for the fight.”

“Things are different now. _Very_ different.” Yoongi crossed the room so he could stand beside Taehyung. “We’re not gangsters anymore. We don’t have _power_ anymore. It’s going to get ugly and it’s _because_ everyone has something to lose now.”

Taehyung felt a cold sweat touch the base of his neck as Yoongi gave him the once over.

“…some of us more than others.”

He jumped when he felt Yoongi’s hand patting his shoulder. The smile on his brother’s face was a mixture between bitter and sad. Yoongi sighed, turning away from him to leave the kitchen.

“Congratulations, Taehyung-ah.”

Taehyung sank back into the chair, as if the wind had been knocked straight from him. Part of him was happy to hear his brother acknowledge the small measure of joy he’d received in his life. The other part was fully aware of the warning Yoongi shared with him. They had more to lose now. More than ever.

_I won’t let them take it from me._ Curling his hands into fists at his knees, he narrowed his eyes harshly. _I’ll never let **anyone** take my happiness from me._


	49. Home

"We won’t talk but we’ll be comfortable.  
If only I have you, it’ll be my home."

_Hwaseong – Gyeonggi Province  
South Korea_

Eden smiled as she felt Jungkook wrap his heavier coat around her shoulders. Children raced past them, squealing in delight as they chased each other. One child barreled into her back, causing her to stumble forward a little. Jungkook cuffed the little boy on his head and Eden tugged at Jungkook’s ear to get him to stop. The little boy sniffled, apologizing, and Eden gave him a few bills so he could buy some snacks with his friends. Jungkook smirked, watching the little boy blush as he looked at her, bowed, and then scrambled off to be with his friends.

“You’re too easy on them,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes. “They’re just kids. Let them be kids.” Eden paused as they reached the corner of the street. “They should have that luxury, don’t you think?”

When she looked up at Jungkook, something flickered across his gaze. His brows furrowed and she immediately regretted saying what she had. Her intention hadn’t been to make him feel guilty, but he still did. Old memories were dredged up, something that they talked about in length once when they were up late watching Korean gangster movies while sharing a bottle of whiskey. They both never really got to be kids; the world forced them to grow up and deal with the adult world before they physically became adults.

It wasn’t a life either of them chose for themselves, but it wasn’t a life they regretted either. It made them who they were now. It was the life that led them to each other.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook-ah,” she said softly, “I shouldn’t have said that…”

He shook his head roughly from side to side, taking her arm and looping it through his. “No, you’re right. They should be able to run and play and rough around like they want while they can.”

She smiled, relieved to know that he felt the same way she did.

They continued down the path, passing various street stalls that sold food, clothes, and other trinkets. It was Spring and Summer would soon be approaching. Flowers were blooming and green returned to the once barren trees that lined the streets. The air was starting to warm up, but there was still that little bit of chill in the air that swept through and touched the marrow of bones.

Most women would have found coming to a back end province like Hwaseong deplorable – especially for a honeymoon getaway. But Eden insisted that this was the place she wanted to spend time with her husband – the place where he sealed away all his childhood memories; where his dreams first began.

The place where he called home.

Hwaseong was rural in most aspects, but there were industrial districts. She preferred the softer sides of his hometown, the places where all the rolling hills and lush forests flourished. It was peaceful, quiet, and a place where she could gather her thoughts. Jungkook pointed out the places that meant the most to him and she made mental notes of them; filing them away to be explored in depth later.

One by one, he went by all the places that his brothers called home. Some of their family members came out to greet them and Jungkook simply introduced Eden as his girlfriend. She didn’t mind, seeing as how they were both wearing their wedding bands as necklaces. But just for now. Eden agreed that it was better if they kept their marriage a secret, especially since tensions between the Jade Fangs and the former Golden Jackals had the potential to escalate. It was the safer and smarter way to go about things. Jimin was the only one who knew and they would keep it that way until everything finally settled down.

As each day passed, she was able to see the lake where he first met the others – the ones he called his brothers. They were all children back then, playing around the Han River in their underwear and throwing rocks at the lake while fishing. He took her to the orphanage that cared for him until he was old enough to get a job and go to school. As painful as it must have been, Jungkook even showed her the home he used to live in with his parents before they threw him away. A different family lived there now.

Everything was a precious memory, good and bad, and Eden tucked them away without judgment.

They returned to the hotel, deciding to order takeout and have it brought to their room. Lavish as their lodgings were, it seemed a bit silly, seeing as how Hwaseong became a bit of a tourist trap in recent years. It gave the community a chance to build something expansive and eye-catching, grabbing at the ankles of wealthy tourists to come and spend their money on pricey hotel suites and cheap souvenirs boasting ancient history in the inner square’s markets.

But it was the little things that counted.

After they finished eating, Eden began washing dishes in the sink of the suite’s kitchen. As she placed a few on the drying rack, she felt Jungkook approach her from behind. He slid his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as she continued to work. She smiled when he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck and she wiggled a little, his fringe tickling her cheek.

“Let’s go back to Seoul tomorrow,” he said suddenly, lacing his fingers together across her stomach.

She rinsed off a plate, intent on focusing on the task at hand. “Why? I thought we were staying here for a few more days?” Eden pouted, casting a sidelong glance at him. “Are we cutting the honeymoon short?”

She understood if it needed to be done. Sometimes work couldn’t be avoided. But that didn’t mean she had to like it.

Jungkook laughed, pressing his mouth to her temple. “No, we’re not.” He reached up to brush some of her hair behind her ear. “I actually have another surprise for you.”

“You and your surprises,” Eden muttered, unable to hide the tiny smirk that appeared.

“Trust me,” he whispered, “you’ll love it.”

* * *

_Seoul – Itaewon; Yongsan District  
South Korea_

“Uh, Jungkook?”

“Hm?”

“What is this?”

“What is _what_?”

Eden turned to look at Jungkook, seeing the look of pride all but explode over his face. He was practically beaming and he took a moment to meet her gaze. Eden blinked up at him, then craned her neck to look back at the large house surrounded by a thicket of private trees. There was a small stairwell that led up to the front door, a small awning perched from the siding of the slate walls. A large front deck wrapped around the house, a two-story home that boasted modern features with a hint of traditional landscaping.

She pointed to the house – her finger aimed at the large window on the second floor.

“This,” she said again, “what _is_ this?”

“A house,” he said, amusement laced through his words, “_our_ house.”

Whipping her head to look at him. She could see no trace of a lie or even a tease. “Excuse me, what?”

Laughing, Jungkook grabbed her by the hand and tugged her along – pulling her up the short set of steps while rustling around for a set of keys. Slipping it into the door, he twisted the key and ushered her inside. Eden was only barely able to get her shoes off as he helped her into a pair of house slippers.

“I’ll get an electronic lock installed later. I just couldn’t wait to show this to you.”

She had no words. Even if she had, Eden was positive they would have tumbled to the floor in a meaningless collection of jargon she wouldn’t have been able to understand. Everything was brand new. The floor was made of polished hardwood, the furniture sleek and modern. Only the throw pillows were unfashionable as they sported various characters from anime that Eden liked – a large _Princess Mononoke_ throw blanket draped across the back of the large couch in the living room.

Eden took a few steps forward, her eyes darting in every direction to take everything in. The kitchen was large, sporting a marble island with stools around it. Large windows allowed for natural light to flood the rooms, showing off the view of the front and side gardens. A huge flat screen television decorated the wall near an ornate entertainment center – a fireplace nestled in the corner with freshly cut logs near the hearth to be used during the colder months.

Turning to look at Jungkook, she didn’t have time to speak before he was already scooping her into his arms and carrying her up the stairs.

“We can explore the rest of the house tonight,” he said, leaning in to press his lips along the shell of her ear, “but there’s one place I want us to go.”

Eden felt her cheeks getting warmer. She knew the look in his eyes and understood what his intentions were. So it didn’t come as a surprise to her when he pushed open a door with his shoulder to reveal a large master bedroom. Without wasting a moment more, Jungkook set her down so her feet hit the floor, his lips moving to capture hers in a heated kiss. She moaned unconsciously into his mouth, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders as he hurriedly popped the buttons of her jeans loose.

His large hands moved to all but tear the hoodie from her, pulling it up and over her head so that it landed on the floor without a second glance. She tried to say something – _anything_ – but the words were lost as he kissed her; his tongue slipping in between her lips to brush along her canines. Eden took a step back, her calf hitting the edge of the bed and she nearly stumbled backwards. Jungkook caught her by the waist, his hands warm against her skin. His fingers pressed into her waist, curling into the waistband of her jeans and she felt her breath hitch when he knocked his hips against hers. She could feel his erection through his pants, and she squeezed her thighs together a little bit tighter – attempting to get friction where she needed it most.

Jungkook’s kiss grew a bit more feverish, a hand moving from her waist to trail up her exposed back. Eden felt her skin pepper out in goosebumps – chasing the path that his hand made along her skin. Pausing to rest at the nape of her neck, Eden can’t help the sigh that managed to escape – lost in the cavern of his mouth. She tilted her head slightly, trying to get at his mouth at a better angle. But he chose that moment to break the kiss, trailing his mouth along the column of her neck. She felt his body almost vibrate as she reached out to pull at his shirt, yanking it free from his pants.

She felt his hand moving from the back of her neck, his fingers slowly clambering up to thread through her hair. His other hand was still at her hip and she could feel him tracing small circles around her skin before dipping below the waistband of her panties. Eden gasped softly as the sound of her zipper sliding down seemed to ricochet off the walls.

Jungkook broke the kiss again, moving a step back so he could slowly sink to the floor to his knees while taking her pants with him. He urged her to step out of them completely when they were bunched around her ankles and she complied, her legs trembling when he pressed his lips along her inner thigh. A hand slid down to the crown of his head, carding through his hair. Delicate hands moved to caress along her skin, finally smoothing over the curves of her thighs and then gripping onto her panties. He dragged them down, his lips giving chase to the material as he let it fall to her ankles.

Without having to be told, Eden stepped out of them as well.

Clad in just her bra, she felt overly exposed in a way that felt a little embarrassing. It was still broad daylight and Jungkook was being shamelessly intimate. The curtains weren’t drawn over the windows and while she knew the home was nestled in their own private sanctuary, Eden felt like someone was watching her; like they were _ being _watched. It was a weird kink that she never believed she could properly give a voice to, but Jungkook indulged her whenever he could.

Licking a trail up her body, he paused just long enough to press his lips atop the swell of her breasts. He reached behind her, unhooking her bra and she let it fall to the ground. It, too, would be forgotten until it was deemed fit to be remembered.

Eden pouted as he smiled down at her, his eyes full of dark arousal. She could tell he was holding himself back a measure and she lightly smacked him on the chest with the back of her hand. His eyes crinkled in the corners, his gaze softening as he looked back at her.

“I’m the only one naked,” she murmured, “no fair.”

Reaching out to grasp one of her hands, he moved so that it now rested along the center of his chest. She could feel the heavy thrum of his heartbeat beneath her palm and he quirked a brow at her. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to ask her.

“Then make it fair,” he replied, his voice low and raspy.

Eden couldn’t keep the look of surprise and amusement from dancing over her face. She bit her lower lip, her hands moving to undo each button before shoving the material back and off his shoulders. He shrugged out of the shirt, shaking his hands so he was free of the material. Eden immediately went to his belt, pulling the leather through the loops of his jeans and then dropping it to the floor.

She could admit she wasn’t nearly as patient as her husband and he laughed, watching her popping the button of his jeans loose while frantically pulling at the zipper. His hands moved to still over hers and he lifted her easily off the floor. Eden wriggled when she felt him kissing her stomach, laughing as he tossed her onto the bed.

She cooed softly as he slid out of his jeans and boxers in one swift motion. His shaft twitched in response to him drinking her in. She could see his pupils dilating as he climbed over her like a predator about to devour his prey. His hands slid between her thighs to press along her folds, feeling the slickness that escaped from how heavy her own arousal was. Moaning at his touch, Eden tried to move away from him, but he wouldn’t give her any quarter. Instead, he lowered his head to capture an exposed nipple between his lips.

Pleasure exploded over her skin and she nearly bucked from his finger pressing against the sensitive nub between her legs. He rubbed agonizingly slow circles around it before dipping into her slit to caress at her inner walls. In the haze of her lust, she could see the milky white fluid beading at the slit of his tip. She wanted to taste it but her selfish desire was knocked clean from her mind when he slid another finger into her.

Her hips lifted, pushing his digits further inside of her. Jungkook moved his face to lavish affection to the other nipple. He pumped his fingers in and out of her, his thumb continuing to rub circles over her clit. Electric shocks exploded behind her eyes and he lifted his face to catch her mouth in an open-mouthed kiss. Sucking on her tongue, Eden closed her eyes and moaned – unsure how much longer she was going to be able to handle this assault against her entire person.

As if he’d read her mind, Jungkook removed his fingers from her folds. Eden whined, shocked at her internal outrage to being deprived of her own pleasure. She watched Jungkook using her juices to coat his erection, his hand slowly stroking over himself. He gripped the base of the shaft and she felt herself getting wetter just watching him. After a moment of this, he straddled her hips – positioning himself as he pressed the tip of his erection against her clit. Again, she hissed in pleasure, feeling her walls growing more and more slick as he teased her folds.

“My god,” Jungkook whispered, “you’re beautiful.”

“Jungkook-ah…”

“You’re my wife.” He smiled down at her. “How did I get so lucky?”

Eden felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She laughed softly, not caring that they leaked out and into her ears. Jungkook leaned down to press a kiss to her mouth, his lips moving along the curve of her jaw until he caressed the lobe of her ear.

“I love you,” he said softly, pressing the head of his erection into her entrance. She sucked in air between her teeth as he inched forward a little bit more. “I love you so much, Eden.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer. “I love you too, Jungkook.”

As if those were the words he’d been waiting for, he pushed himself forward completely – filling her insides. Her walls clamped down around him instinctively, holding him in place. As he pushed and pulled against her, the friction created was almost jarring. The pace was slow at first, but it didn’t take Jungkook long to speed things up. Eden rocked her hips against his, rising to meet his as he came down along her. There were wet, sloppy sounds of skin slapping against skin and it didn’t take long for their sweat-soaked skin to glide over each other with each hurried pulse of their movements.

And then he hit that spot; the spot that drove her half-mad. The spot that almost always left her fucked out of her head. Eden dug her nails into his skin, leaving half-moon marks along his muscles. She dragged her fingers down, red angry trails chasing after her fingernails before she clamped onto his forearms. He was practically jack-hammering into her, reaching his own favored spot, until she was seeing stars from the orgasm that began to overtake her. Her voice started off low until it soon escalated to a scream; one that she was almost positive rattled the windows. Jungkook wasn’t far behind her, her name bellowing from his lungs.

Heat filled her core, spreading over her entire body. She felt Jungkook shift his body slightly, collapsing beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, still buried inside of her, and pulled her close so that she was nestled perfectly against his form. He whispered words of love into her ear and Eden was barely conscious enough to hear them. But not before she was able to tell him that she loved him back.

They’d made a mess over their brand-new bed; their new bedding.

Neither of them cared.

* * *

** _Five Months Later_ **

_“I’m proud of you, y’know that?”_

Eden smiled while rolling her eyes at the phone situated on the nightstand. Raelyn smirked back at her on the screen. They’d been Face Timing each other since Jungkook left for work in the morning. He had a few errands to run and she was leaving the shop in Minki’s hands. Eden folded a few more items on the bed, organizing them, and then placed the clothes into the small suitcase.

_“I’m serious. This is pretty gutsy of you and I’m glad you’re doin’ it.”_

After she threw the small plastic bag of toiletries on top of the clothes, she moved to sit on the bed. She picked up the phone and flopped back onto the bed.

“I know,” she said with a sigh, “I’m just a little nervous, I guess.”

_“Don’t be. I mean, **do be**, but don’t let that shake you up.”_ She watched Raelyn’s brows furrow. _“They know you’re comin’, right? You’re not just showing up unannounced?”_

Again, Eden rolled her eyes. “Yes, they know I’m coming.”

Raelyn held a hand up. _“Look, I’m just makin’ sure, alright?”_ She paused and Eden lofted a brow. _“I’m a little surprised they agreed to this.”_

She scoffed, clambering off the bed. “Like they have a choice. From what I was able to find out, I’m the _only child_ my mother ever had before she died. I’m sure they’re just as curious about me as I am about them.”

She still didn’t know why she was doing this. Part of her wanted to call the whole thing off. It wasn’t like things were going to change by doing this. Seeing her mother’s family, the people who treated her like the black sheep of their bloodline, only angered Eden. But she also knew that she couldn’t abandon them. Not until she really got to see them for who they truly were. After that, she would make her decision on whether to continue having them circulating around her life.

_“Well, when you get there, you show them exactly who the hell you are and that you ain’t playin’ any games.”_

Eden couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “I think you should be more worried about that little troublemaker growing inside of you, don’t you?”

_“Girl, don’t get me started,”_ Raelyn said, the bitter tone evident in her voice, _“between Anastasia’s mood swings and Taehyung being my damn shadow, I don’t have **time** to get into anything stupid.”_

She closed the suitcase and secured the locks, picking it up and unlatching the extended handle. Eden made her way out of the bedroom and headed downstairs, the suitcase rolling behind her as she continued to hold the phone up in front of her.

“Good,” she said once she made it to the ground floor, “because I don’t need to be working my nerves while I’m on this trip. They’re frayed as it is.”

This time Raelyn scoffed. _“You’ll be fine. Is Jungkook takin’ you to the train station?”_

“No. He’s busy with work and I told him not to worry about it.”

_“Three days, right?”_

She nodded. “Yeah. Though depending on how the trip goes, I may come back early.”

_“I heard Daegu is beautiful this time of year. Make sure you take a lot of pictures.”_

“I will, I will,” Eden reassured. She opened the front door and closed it behind her, the electronic lock beeping to let her know it was secured. “I’ll call you when I get there.”

_“Alright. Love you.”_

“Love you too.”

Hanging up the call, she pulled up her messages. She shot Jungkook a quick text to let him know she was heading to the train station. Eden knew he was busy at the recording studio and didn’t want to interrupt him while he worked.

**Jungkook: _Be safe. Call me as soon as you’ve arrived. I love you._**

Smiling, she sent him a heart emoji. She was never a big fan of texting and he knew that about her. He never nagged her about it. Eden was a woman who believed that actions spoke louder than words. She’d always been this way. She was thankful that Jungkook understood and accepted this – always willing to meet her halfway.

He sent her two heart emojis back.

Making her way toward the front gate, Eden pushed it open and pulled her suitcase behind her. She turned to close the gate, tugging at the bars to make sure the latch caught properly. Checking her watch, she saw she had plenty of time to get to the train station.

_Maybe I should call him anyway_, she thought, moving to head down the long walkway leading from the house.

Eden managed to take a few steps forward before someone stepped in front of her. The heels of her sneakers scuffed along the ground as she stopped, lifting her head to see who was blocking her path. He looked a little familiar, but she wasn’t quite sure from where. Blinking a few times, she watched the other man’s small smile growing little by little.

She didn’t have time for this. Maybe she was mistaken.

“Excuse me,” she said through clenched teeth, moving so she could side-step him. He shifted to resume blocking her path. Eden shot him a glare. “_Move_.”

“You’re still as feisty as ever, I see,” he said. She said nothing, narrowing her eyes. “I know it’s been awhile, but I’m a little hurt you don’t remember me.”

“Should I?”

The man lifted his hand in the air, miming holding a shot glass. He made a motion to show he was tipping the glass back into his mouth. Eden scrutinized him a moment longer and he merely continued to smile.

And then it hit her.

“_You_,” she growled, her eyes narrowing to slits. “Yoo Kihyun.”

He snapped his fingers. “Bingo.”

Eden reached into her pocket. “What do _you_ want?”

He shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious?” When his eyes met hers, they were dark and cold. It caused Eden to hesitate for just a moment. “It’s you.”

That moment of hesitation was her undoing. She failed to notice the look of triumph painted over his face. She’d missed the sound of movement behind her. And before she could register that she was being ambushed, Eden felt a sharp prick to the back of her neck. 

It didn’t take long. If given the chance, she would have only been able to count to five.

Five seconds before the world went dark.


	50. Danger

"You’re in danger right now, why are you testing me?  
Why are you testing me? Stop confusing me."

**_Three Days Later_**__  
Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District  
South Korea

Hoseok took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in the plush leather chair. Soft music played from the stereo in the corner of the room; a semi-vain attempt at quieting his thoughts. They were pervasive, loud, and extremely unwelcome these days. Namjoon insisted he take the day off, reassuring Hoseok that both he and Yoongi could handle things while he was away from the office. He wasn’t one to be fussed over, but even he had to admit that the mounting stress from the last few months was finally beginning to take a toll on him.

It was quiet. Too quiet. This disturbed him on various levels in ways that he couldn’t possibly describe. It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. He had. Hoseok tried time and again to empty his feelings at Seokjin and Namjoon’s feet. But it always fell short; something felt incomplete about his trepidation.

There shouldn’t have been a reason, however. Hoseok knew this. He’d made his stance very clear with Changkyun the last time they crossed paths with one another. He would not be part of the little games he was attempting to play, and he wouldn’t be coerced into walking back into darkness. None of them would.

Too much was at stake now. They were all slowly building something with their own hands; something that was of some semblance of clean. Happiness fluttered around his brothers like butterflies and he enjoyed that they were able to indulge in the little things in life for a change; things they often took for granted when they were living in the countryside.

Anastasia was pregnant, her belly swollen with the life that she was nurturing. Seokjin babied and pampered her and the others were getting used to the idea that they were all going to be uncles. When the topic of marriage was brought up, Seokjin merely smiled. He said nothing else on the matter and they didn’t push. It was clear that he would do things at his own pace.

Raelyn, too, was pregnant. Truth be told, it stung Hoseok in a way that he wouldn’t dare admit aloud. Taehyung loved her and it was clear she cared for him as well. Who was he to get in the way of that happiness, regardless of his own lingering attachments? It wasn’t fair. He wouldn’t _ be _ unfair. She was only a month behind Anastasia and Taehyung made a point to notify everyone that Raelyn was forever spoken for. No one mentioned marriage at all since Taehyung had plans of his own.

Jungkook and Eden were now living together. He remembered the look on his youngest brother’s face when he closed on the house, notifying the others that he would be moving out of their home in UN Village. The others protested at first. They didn’t think it was necessary for Jungkook to move out when Eden could have easily moved into their home instead. They had plenty of room and privacy. But after a conversation Hoseok had with Jimin and Jungkook both, he realized that it was the better option. He didn’t want to pour salt into any wounds. Especially not Yoongi’s.

It came as a surprise, at first, when he’d heard about Yoongi’s relationship with Eden prior. None of the others poked or investigated their brother, believing that he was going off to be with someone he cared about after being dragged through the dirt in the underground. While he knew that Yoongi’s loyalty was absolute and he cared deeply for his brothers, sometimes even _ The Lightning Claw _ yearned for an escape from the shadows that clung to their ankles persistently.

As he leaned back in the chair, he pressed his forearm against his temple while his other hand rested along his stomach. Dark eyes idly stared at the ceiling, looking at nothing in particular. His heart beat softly against his chest and he drummed his fingers along in time with the sound. He hummed a tune to himself, closing his eyes as he took a moment to think about everything they’d gone through to reach this point. It was a long journey – seemingly endless. Ten years flashed by so quickly that Hoseok often questioned if it was a dream they were all sharing; one where they hadn’t been able to wake up from yet.

So much fighting, stealing, and climbing over horrifyingly large mountains. Their knuckles burned white and their fingernails bled from how hard they were holding on to both themselves and their goals. Reaching the peak of the mountain, gazing over the horizon – over their kingdom – Hoseok could claim that it was something they could look back on with a mild feeling of fondness.

He couldn’t help but wonder if things would be different had they all decided to remain in their hometown.

Letting his arm fall against the armrest of the chair, he scoffed and shook his head. _What’s the point of worrying about that now?_

They all decided things together. They agreed to uproot themselves and walked hand-in-hand into the pits of Hell. Hadn’t everything they’d accomplished to this point, means be damned, been the result they wanted? It was all so they could have a better life at the cost of their innocence.

Im Changkyun had been right about one thing. Sacrifices had to be made. They had to be _willing_ to make them.

The soft chime of the doorbell rang throughout the house. Hoseok sat up, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Looking at the video phone, he picked it up as the person near the front gate lifted his face toward the camera. The young man wore a uniform, presumably a delivery service. He had a small package in his arms. He waved to the camera and Hoseok felt his brows furrow. He wasn’t expecting a delivery.

“Can I help you?”

_“Uh, yes Sir? I have a delivery for Jung Hoseok?”_

“Who’s it from?”

_“There’s no return address, Sir.”_

He sighed. “Just leave it.”

_“It’s requiring that someone sign for it, Sir.”_

Something uncomfortable settled in the pit of Hoseok’s gut. He could have just told the delivery boy to go away and have the package returned to the shipping company. It wasn’t like he’d be punished for it and Hoseok was certain he hadn’t ordered a parcel. If anything, this was a potential headache in the making and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with it.

_“Uh, Sir? Are you there?”_

Hoseok pressed two fingers to his forehead and groaned. “Fine, I’ll be right out. Stay there.”

Rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, he exited his office and headed toward the front door. Sliding into a pair of sneakers, he grabbed his wallet and slid it into the back pocket of his slacks. The security lock beeped behind him as the door closed and he slowly trudged down the winding path of the front garden toward the front gate. He entered the passcode and pulled the gate open slowly, his back rigid as he prepared to brace himself for anything that might have attempted to catch him off guard.

The young man smiled, holding out the small parcel toward Hoseok. He took it, cradling it under one arm, while he signed the tablet with the stylus. The delivery man checked his signature, bowed, and bid him a wonderful rest of his afternoon. Hoseok merely nodded, closing the gate and began heading back toward the house when the security lock beeped again.

Mindlessly inputting the passcode, he entered the house while examining the package. It was a simple white box with red and blue accents around it – presumably the logo and color scheme of the shipping company. It was no longer than a standard envelope and as thick as two decks of cards. His name was on the front but like the delivery man stated, there was no return address.

For the sake of argument, Hoseok shook the box and heard the soft rattling sound of something hitting the inside along all four corners. Whatever was inside was small and light. He tossed the box up and down, confirming much of the weight was from what was concealed in the box. Opening the flaps from one end, he held the box at an angle and a small USB thumb drive fell into his palm. There was nothing about it that stood out; just a simple red and black thumb drive with the manufacturer’s logo on it. He shook the box again but nothing else was inside.

Tossing the box into the nearby waste bin, Hoseok entered his office and closed the door behind him. His legs moved toward his desk and he flopped into his chair. Pulling up a virus scanner on his computer, he made sure it was ready and waiting before sliding the thumb drive into one of the USB ports. Two minutes went by and the virus scanner confirmed there was nothing malicious on the drive, deeming it safe to open.

Clicking on the icon for the drive, there was a folder with his name on it. He opened it and saw three files inside: two video clips and a text document. There was nothing urgent on the text file’s label. It merely read _For Hoseok_. The video clips, however, had two different dates on them: three days ago and today, followed by the numbers 1 and 2.

He clicked on the first video.

The picture was dark, showing that whatever room the video was being filmed in had poor lighting. He could make out a couple of silhouettes, but there weren’t any distinctive features that could help him discern who the figures belonged to. About ten seconds into the video, a light clicked on – illuminating one of the people in the video.

It didn’t take him long to recognize who it was and the moment he did, Hoseok thought his guts had fallen out of his body.

In the video, there was a woman sitting in a chair. She was tied up with what looked like a combination of regular ropes and large chains. Her mouth was gagged with a bright red cloth and her head hung forward, the light over her head shadowing the rest of her face. The intensity of the light hanging over her made it only slightly difficult to discern her skin color, but her dark curls that fell around her neck and across her shoulders was unmistakable. Something dangled from her neck – he could only assume it was a necklace of some kind.

But he still couldn’t see her face.

“No,” he whispered while shaking his head. He could feel a cold sweat forming on his brow. “There’s no way that’s…”

All the moisture left his mouth in mid-denial. A masked man grabbed a handful of the woman’s curls, yanking her head back. A muffled yell of outrage pushed from her chest, lost against the bright red fabric pressed over her mouth. Her face was fully illuminated in the light and even Hoseok could no longer deny who was sitting in that chair.

It was Eden.

The video was only ninety seconds long and it abruptly ended with a hand holding up two fingers in front of the camera lens. The person in the video was telling him to click on the second video file.

He clicked on the other video file labeled with today’s date.

It was the same nondescript room and Eden was still sitting in the chair. A trail of blood seeped from her temple and her shirt was torn open from the neck to her stomach, exposing her bra and skin. The necklace continued to hang from her neck and he could see there was a ring looped through the chain. It appeared that her shoulder was injured, the denim jacket stained a darker shade of blue on just her right shoulder. A large cut decorated her thigh and he could see where the blood blossomed across her jeans – staining her entire upper leg red.

Eden looked like she was fading in and out of consciousness. Suddenly, water was splashed over her face and chest, jolting her awake and it appeared that she was attempting to focus on her current predicament. When it seemed like the answer was dawning on her features, Eden raged through the bandana over her mouth, her body rocking back and forth viciously to break free from her restraints. One of the men backhanded her hard and she went limp, her head rolling forward.

Hoseok saw the blood leaking from beneath the gag.

The video ended.

Horror and fury tore through Hoseok’s entire body, threatening to rip him asunder. His shoulders vibrated from his anger and his vision blurred from the onset of furious tears. Getting his hands to steady over the mouse was a task in and of itself. When he managed to finally tether it down to move it, he clicked on the text file with his name on it.

It felt like the ground opened beneath him and swallowed him whole.

_Hoseok Hyung,_

_I have to say, I’m impressed. Truly. I can’t find a single weak point in **your** defenses. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, should it? You’ve always been so careful; always fully aware of your surroundings. The others are the same; a habit they’ve picked up from you, perhaps?_

_It’s a shame that **same skill** wasn’t embroiled in your women._

_Not that it’s their fault. When you believe that you’re safe, what reason do you need to keep your guard up? Blissful ignorance does that to a person. Believing you’ve **won** makes you sloppy._

_Your brothers have become sloppy, Hyung._

_As interesting as it would have been to go after the women carrying your brothers’ children, I’m not a monster. Besides, Eden is the strongest of them and breaking her will only prove my point further._

_That you’ve all grown **weak** in the light._

_Hyung, this is my final offer. Stop letting the light blind you. Stop letting those **weak** dreams and ambitions dictate the rest of your lives. You can’t protect the things you love when you don’t have the power to stop anyone who would try to take it from you. You **had** that power and you threw it away._

_And for what?_

_For love? Success? So you can lay in your graves, close your eyes, and think you’ll greet the Reaper with a nice **clean conscience**? Don’t be ridiculous._

_Let’s see how long it takes you to find her. You already know asking for the police won’t do you any good. We have the Chief in our back pocket; we have **for years**_.__

_ __ _

_By the time you read this, the boys and I will be out of the country on a business trip. Tracking us down will just be a waste of time. Both yours **and** hers. Every minute counts and the longer you take to find her, the more she’s going to suffer because of your inability to act._

_ __ _

_The clock is ticking, Hyung._

_ __ _

_And the game is **still** on._

_ __ _

_Good luck._

_ __ _

_Im Changkyun_

_ __ _

For a moment, all Hoseok could do was stare at the words on the screen. He couldn’t breathe. He could barely think.

_ __ _

Then he saw red.

_ __ _

Hoseok jumped from his chair, grabbed the monitor, and hurled it across the room. The sound that ripped through him was beyond anything a human being should have been capable of making. Glass shattered as it crashed into the wall, breaking into numerous pieces. He picked up the keyboard and began to smash it across his desk, breaking the glass top as the keys popped off and scattered across the floor. Even when the keyboard was split in half, he continued to pummel his desk – creating more spider vein cracks along the surface.

_ __ _

And then he blacked out.

_ __ _

Hoseok didn’t know how long he was out. What brought him out of the darkness was the sound of Namjoon’s voice, as well as his body moving back and forth. Slowly, Hoseok’s eyes opened and he saw his friend looking down at him with extreme concern.

_ __ _

“Hoseok-ah!” Again, Namjoon shook him. “Are you alright? Hey, come on!”

_ __ _

His vision blurred in and out of focus, his head spinning, and he reached out blindly to grab onto Namjoon’s shoulder. “N-Namjoon-ah,” he croaked, realizing how raw his voice sounded, “the boys. C-Call the boys.”

_ __ _

Namjoon frowned, not sure what he was trying to tell him. Hoseok growled in frustration.

_ __ _

“GET EVERYONE HOME RIGHT NOW, GODDAMMIT!”

_ __ _


	51. Run

"Everybody say it is over but I can’t stop this.  
I can’t tell whether it is sweat or tears."

** _Three Days Later  
_ ** _??? - ???; ???_ _  
South Korea_

**4:45 AM**

There was only darkness.

That was all she was granted to see, but her other senses were very much aware.

For example, Eden could smell the musky aroma of a decrepit building during the moment she was dragged into that place. The light scent of cheap men’s cologne, as well as the subtle fragrance of wood and dirt, lingered in the air. She’d been knocked unconscious and only woke up halfway during being tied up and blindfolded. There wasn’t much else she could do and it was making for a pretty shit-tastic day - of which it should have just been a successful day of boarding a goddamn train, meeting her family, hitting the tent house for some soup and soju, and then calling it a night after a hot shower.

Where had it all gone wrong?

She was losing count of how much time was passing by. Days must have gone by and the bastards kept her blindfolded after they filmed her. While she was deprived of her sight, Eden took comfort in knowing that they hadn’t stolen her necklace from her. The sons-of-bitches did, however, take her phone. Probably chucked it off Namsan Tower for all she knew.

The pain was immeasurable. So much so that her body was adjusting to it.

A soft shuffling sound echoed in the large, empty space. A metal door slid open, rattling on the track it was on. She unconsciously licked her lips as she waited for something else to clue her in to her location. More feet shuffled as a distinct set of heavy boots thudded along the concrete.

The person paused in front of her, their clothing shifting against their body as though they were inspecting her. She lifted her face to where she could only assume the person was standing. The scent was familiar, but it wasn’t until he spoke that she knew who he was.

“You have such lovely hands, Eden-ssi,” he cooed, stroking his finger along the back of her knuckle. Eden jerked back on reflex, growling as the rope scraped against her wrists. “I’ve always admired them – these hands that shouldn’t belong to a mechanic. You should take better care of them.”

He paused and she could feel his breath along her cheeks.

“Well, if you get out alive, I mean.”

A hand grabbed at the knot tied at the back of her head. When the blindfold was removed, she blinked rapidly from the light that seemed to always shine directly in her eyes. She tried to turn her face away, but realized that a set of hands held her head in place – preventing her averting her gaze.

Yoo Kihyun flashed a derogatory smirk at her.

She spit in his face.

A sharp pain registered at the crown of her head, her hair being pulled back with brute force. Kihyun removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped at his cheeks. He seemed unimpressed with her attempt at rebellion. It wasn’t the first time. If she had it her way, his shin would still have a bruise on it.

He stuffed the small cloth into his pants pocket. “String her up.”

**8:15 AM**

She barely heard Kihyun’s words.

Watching him bending her finger back as if to snap it, she could hardly register what was going on. There were so many numbing sensations moving through her body, having been moved from the iron chair and electric voltage to now being suspended in the air by steel shackles - toes barely touching the dirty, concrete floor. Her eyes stayed locked onto her captor.

_I won’t give up,_ she told herself, narrowing her gaze at him, _they’ll come for me._

“I’m impressed,” he said, cracking his knuckles, “most people would be begging me to either let them go or put them out of their misery by now.” Kihyun leaned forward to stroke the side of her cheek, smearing the blood leaking from her temple down to the corner of her mouth. “I like how stubborn you are. This makes it more fun.”

Eden scoffed. “You’re fucking insane if you think I’d beg you for anything, you brain-dead shit eating jackass.”

The insult was full of venom, but it lacked the audacity she desired from how dry her mouth and throat were.

Kihyun laughed. “I’m curious,” he said, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head to the side, causing her neck to pop, “do you think _your husband_ is going to come save you?” Still holding her head, his other hand moved to trace over the chain where her wedding ring dangled from. His eyes narrowed, smile still in place. “I’m _counting_ on it.”

Blinking at him, Eden lost track of her thoughts. What had he just said?

Then the realization hit, sweeping down on her faster than she could’ve imagined. This whole setup was a trap. She was the bait and it would only be a matter of time before Jungkook and the others fell into it. She couldn’t warn them and she couldn’t stop this twisted little game they were playing with her. Eden knew there was a high chance she probably wasn’t going to make it out of this alive.

And whoever came to her rescue wouldn’t either.

It was like a knife being plunged into her heart. Eden knew it. She now had the confirmation she needed. She accepted her fate for what it was.

Tears leaked out of her eyes and she shut them, not wanting to look at the cruel smile spreading over Kihyun’s face. _ Please, don’t come here. Don’t come here! _

Again, she heard movement. Opening her eyes, Eden watched him. That's all she could really do. Weaponless, bound and at their mercy, Eden could only do so much. Talk or not talk. Perhaps the pain that she would have felt could’ve been avoided.

Perhaps.

But it was too late. She was already preparing herself for the end. And as she resolved herself to do, she came to terms with her demons. She apologized to those she’d ever hurt or disappointed. She apologized to those she wouldn’t be able to see again. She begged for their forgiveness, asking them for understanding. That her death wouldn’t be meaningless.

Her death would be meaningful.

It would _not_ be in vain.

_Jungkook-ah…_

“I _am_ sorry for this, Eden-ssi. By the way, the next time you see the others, tell them the Jade Fangs say ‘farewell.’”

She heard the laugh. The next time she saw them? It wouldn’t be until after she was good and dead. She hoped she didn’t see her friends and her husband for a very long time. The bitter laugh, twisted with the cruelty of the joke, was too much for Eden to have to face. Closing her eyes for a moment, she bit down on her lower lip - wishing to draw blood.

_I’m sorry, Jungkook-ah... I won’t be able to keep my promise._ Eden saw his retreating back as Kihyun slipped his coat off. It was as if it was in slow motion. _...you’ll forgive me just this once, right?_

And then it came. The surge of pain hit faster than she could’ve expected. The lashes hit her from behind, the pain spreading through her chest and she dug her nails into her palms. Eden bit the inside of her cheek, feeling the blood dribble onto her tongue. The metallic taste was sharp, forcing all her other senses to become more aware. She’d never felt a pain quite like this in her life.

But all she could do was take it. He would have his fun - push her to her limits. However, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream out. _ Jeon Eden _ would hold out for as long as she could.

The blows came in succession - slash after slash and whip after whip. The pain hit her all over - sweeping across her entire being. Even if she wanted to block it out and numb herself from it all, Eden couldn’t. Her body jerked involuntarily against the blows and all she did was take it. The pain was too much and she wanted to scream at him to finish her off. To stop playing these sick, twisted games and to just get on with it. To fucking kill her. But granting her death would’ve been too merciful.

It wouldn't stop. _He_ would not stop. He would not grant her _death_.

Not before tormenting her mind.

A sharp prick of pain hit the back of her neck and she knew a needle was in her skin. The harsh burn of the liquid being injected caused her to hiss and, again, she wriggled against her restraints.

“No,” she managed to croak, using what strength she had to try and lash out with her legs at Kihyun, “No!”

Suddenly, the snakes appeared - _hundreds_ of them. Eden didn’t fear snakes. Not in the least. However, when they multiplied and began to coil their cold, scaly bodies all over her, she tensed. The pain from the physical abuse was over, but a new horror had unfolded in its wake. The snakes began to devour her, making Eden bite her lip harder until she drew more blood. Little by little, the filthy things were ripping away at her flesh. She could see the bone. But Eden refused to scream out. A hooded cobra swayed in front of her, bobbing its head to the left and then the right before it barreled into her mouth, scraping its fangs down her throat - spitting its venom inside.

She didn’t hear her own scream spilling from her lips. She hadn’t even realized that sound was coming out at all.

The nightmare would not end. Coupled with the snakes tearing away at her flesh, Eden felt the wiggling cobra devouring her insides and crushing her bones in its jaws. She wanted it out! OUT! Then a flood of pain erupted across her entire body. Her back arched forward and then she blacked out.

This was it. Death would hold her in its cold, unfeeling embrace.

Then there was nothing.

Only darkness.

* * *

**9:30 AM**

_Jeju Island – Seogwipo_   
_Yeongduam Coast_   
_South Korea_

Taehyung took a deep breath, the smell of the island’s rich agriculture and salt of the ocean filling his lungs. On any normal day, he would have been planning all the spots he would take Raelyn after she finally gave birth to their child. She was due in three months and he could hardly wait.

But he had to wait.

This wasn’t a vacation. This was the farthest thing from it. The look on Hoseok’s face haunted his waking hours, serving as a constant reminder that he couldn’t afford to waste a single second.

They’d already wasted six days.

But his skills as the Shadow Claw hadn’t diminished. Leaving the mafia life behind was one thing, but losing touch with any of his contacts was almost out of the question. Hoseok commanded the search and everyone scattered like confetti, combing every single area of Seoul they were allowed. Taehyung was able to deduce that the Jade Fangs wouldn’t have been stupid enough to drag Eden into their own territory. That would have made things too easy; too predictable.

Anastasia and Raelyn were only told the bare minimum – undue stress in their condition would only make things worse. Once the girls were secured, they all broke off into groups to try and put their ears to the ground. Only Taehyung went off by himself. He worked better alone and could cover more ground that way.

A contact told him that the Jade Fangs’ upper tier were at Jeju Island, finalizing a few business deals and taking a “much-needed” respite. If he was close enough to them, he could figure out what their game plan was. Money still talked, thankfully, and he managed to bribe one of the lackeys to feed him some information.

Word had it that they had, in fact, snatched up a young woman before flying out to Jeju Island. There were rumors that she may have been in their custody there on the island, but nothing was solid. Taehyung pushed more cash toward his little turncoat with the promise that he would gather more useful information; a location, condition of the hostage, and what terms would need to be met in order to obtain her release.

Taehyung looked at his watch, making a note of the time. He was supposed to meet his informant half an hour ago. He idly wondered if he’d gotten caught digging around where he shouldn’t have.

His phone buzzed.

**Kangta: _I’m almost to you._**

Craning his neck, he looked around while standing atop the large cliff overlooking the expansive ocean of the island. There were a few clusters of trees around and a narrow path that opened from the brush. The ocean crashed along the krags, splashing up white foam from below.

Another handful of minutes passed and Taehyung was still alone on the cliff of the Dragon Head. Other than the ocean and a flock of birds cawing in the distance, he heard no other sounds. He frowned.

“Where the hell is this guy?”

“Sorry for the wait.”

Taehyung quickly pivoted on his heels, clutching his phone at his side. He squinted, peering toward the path that curved from the small forest of trees. The figure that appeared made his heart hammer with anger.

Lee Jooheon walked out, two of his men standing on either side of him. None of them appeared to be holding any weapons which, frankly, seemed odd to Taehyung.

“It’s been awhile, Kim Taehyung-ssi.”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “So my little rat snitched back to his masters, huh?”

“Oh, him?” Jooheon shrugged as his two men flashed wide grins. “No, he didn’t. He’s just bad at being a rat.” He pulled out a cell phone, typed on the screen, and Taehyung felt the phone buzz in his hands. He didn’t bother looking at it. “But we took care of him.”

Taehyung watched Jooheon chuck the phone over his head, the device sailing over the edge of the cliff to meet its fate in the ocean below.

“God, you bastards haven’t changed one fucking bit,” he sneered, to which Jooheon snickered.

“While you guys have changed _ a lot _ , it seems.” Jooheon took a step forward, his men staying in place. “Though I see you haven’t lost your touch as _ The Shadow Claw _. To think you tracked us down so easily.”

Taehyung smirked. “Nothin’ easy about it.”

“It’s too bad though.” He took another step, shuffling just slightly off to the right. Taehyung stepped back, moving to his right – his sight-line trained on the Yellow Jacket. “I was hoping to see Jungkook.”

“Why’s that?”

Jooheon stepped forward and to the right. Taehyung took another step back.

“I wanted to see what kind of look he has right now, knowing we took his wife.”

Taehyung’s eyes went wide, all focus momentarily knocked from his head. It felt like his stomach dropped down to his feet.

“…_what_ did you say?”

At first, Jooheon could only smile. He watched it grow larger as a flicker of realization spread over his face. Taehyung felt a chill sliver down his back as he saw the Yellow Jacket burst into a fit of manic laughter.

“Oh my fucking god,” he said between breaths of laughter. Taehyung glared at him, causing Jooheon to laugh even harder. “You _didn’t know_, holy shit!”

Taehyung curled his fingers around his phone tightly, his arm trembling from the force of the squeeze.

Jooheon dabbed at the corner of one of his eyes with his wrist. “So much for your brotherhood. You’re keeping secrets from each other.”

“Shut-up,” growled Taehyung, emboldened to take a step forward, “shut your fuckin’ mouth.”

“I take it back. I prefer this look you’re giving me instead.”

“I said shut the fuck up!”

There was a sharp whistle of sound. Taehyung instinctively turned his body, pain blossoming over his shoulder and he moved to wrap his hand over the injury. His eyes met Jooheon’s and he could only see the cold smirk of victory painted over the Yellow Jacket’s face. Slowly, he removed his hand and saw that it was instantly covered in blood. There was a perfect horizontal gash along his shoulder that shredded through his jacket, the material staining crimson and spreading over the fabric.

His vision blurred for half a second and Taehyung quickly shook his head, stumbling backwards but thankfully not losing his balance. When he looked back at Jooheon, he realized with horror that the man’s image was appearing in and out of focus.

_T-That fucker,_ he thought, rattling his head again to clear his eyesight, _it’s poisoned!_

Something clattered to the ground, startling Taehyung. It sounded like a small bomb went off beside him, melding with the sound of the ocean hitting the rocks. He could feel the cold sweat breaking out over his face and neck and he moved his hand to cover his shoulder again to stop the wound from bleeding freely.

“We kept telling you guys, but you just wouldn’t listen. Changkyun-ah offered his hand time and again, even though every single one of you turned around and stabbed us in the back.”

Taehyung coughed, feeling the bile bubbling at the back of his throat. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open. “I would _never_ call him _Hyung-nim_,” he choked out, “none of us would.”

“And that’s where you fucked up.”

Jooheon sounded closer now, but Taehyung couldn’t determine where.

Not until the very last second.

“Watch your head.”

Taehyung felt a harsh blow to his stomach, knocking him off his feet. The air was pulled completely from his lungs and the world dissolved into a blur of green, blue and white. A lightheaded fog filled his mind, numbing him from the pain at his gut momentarily. Gravity seemed to grab him by the shoulders, pulling him into the air first before yanking him down slowly. Heavy gusts of wind whipped across his entire body as he descended. The world dimmed around him as the salt of the ocean seemed to overwhelm his senses.

He never hit the ground.


	52. Begin

"I can’t stand you crying.  
I want to cry instead, although I can’t."

_Seoul – Samseong; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

**9:45 AM**

Jungkook was three steps from heading to the insane asylum.

One step represented each day that he hadn’t been able to track Eden down.

He barely heard the words of comfort that Jimin was giving him. He knew that it had something to do with it not being his fault, but how could it not have been? He hadn’t heard from his wife in three days, assuming she got wrapped up with family affairs and was too busy to check in on the first day. The second day had him concerned that she’d gotten hurt. By the third day, Jungkook was at his wit’s end.

Only to find out that she’d been snatched up before she ever got the chance to leave for Daegu. He shouldn’t have put her second to his job. He shouldn’t have let her leave their house to go to the train station alone.

He shouldn’t have let this happen.

The image of Eden’s beaten form in the video clip was branded across the forefront of his mind. Hoseok was angry, determined to track down the Jade Fang members who’d done this. Jungkook was angry that they were still part of the equation. They should have been eliminated _years_ ago.

It wasn’t like they weren’t aware of what Im Changkyun was capable of. They’d seen the vicious things he’d done while they were Jade Fang members themselves. He didn’t think it was necessary to attend district meetings, feeling the rest of the bosses were beneath his standards of proper mafia leadership. Hoseok was his only equal and it appeared that he continued to see him as such.

Divine Intervention prevented Jungkook from leaving the house that night and storming the stronghold of the Jade Fangs alone. He would have burned every single one of their businesses down; he was determined to do so. Jimin escorted him home that night and there was a parcel waiting at home for Jungkook. His brother made him a drink and when Jungkook opened the package, he collapsed on the floor and cried until he could barely breathe.

It was a gift Eden prepared for him for his birthday – a handmade model of his dream car. Seated in the car were miniature figures of Eden and himself. He didn’t remember passing out. He didn’t remember Jimin tucking a blanket over him. He could only remember Eden’s face, smiling as they shared breakfast together the morning she was taken.

“Jungkook-ah,” called Jimin, pulling Jungkook out of his inner musings. There was concern painted over his brother’s face and he took a breath, waiting for him to continue. “I think we’ve covered everywhere here.”

Jungkook said nothing. Instead, he pulled out the small notebook he carried with him and scratched out _Gangnam_ from the list. For two and a half days, they combed every single section of Gangnam they could. There was a part of him that knew that the Jade Fangs wouldn’t be so arrogant to hold her hostage in their former territory. But there was also a part of him that could reason Im Changkyun doing something so ridiculous as a form of “poetic justice” against them.

To him, the _Golden Jackals_ never disbanded.

“What about the others?”

Jimin sighed, leaning against the driver’s side door of the car. “They’re hitting the other areas. Hoseok called in some favors from the other district bosses to let us through.”

All Jungkook did was nod. There was something off about this whole situation. _Very_ off. There shouldn’t have been a single obstacle in the way of the other district heads when it came to taking over their territories. Yongsan and Gangnam were completely up for grabs; Hoseok said as much. Jungkook could only guess that Changkyun’s influence prevented them from stepping a single foot into their turf. He more than likely was determined to get Hoseok and the others back so they could do a mass district takeover.

“I don’t like that Tae Hyung went off by himself,” he suddenly said, meeting Jimin’s gaze.

“Yeah,” he replied softly, “I don’t either.”

Jungkook frowned. “He still hasn’t checked in yet?”

“No.”

He didn’t want to prod any further. Jimin was probably more worried about Taehyung than any of them. While it was unsurprising that he went off on his own, it was unlike him to not have checked in by now. Taehyung wasn’t a morning person, which was why they all knew that he hadn’t slept while he was on the hunt.

Then again, none of them were really sleeping.

A soft ache throbbed at Jungkook’s temple. He pressed a hand to his chest, taking a small amount of comfort in feeling his wedding band dangling from the necklace chain. He didn’t know how much longer he could handle not knowing what was happening with Eden.

“Hyung, I—”

“She’s fine, Jungkook-ah.” Jimin’s words sliced through his own, as if he’d already predicted what he was going to say. When he met his brother’s gaze, he saw the reassuring smile tinged with just a hint of worry. “If I know her, she’ll make them regret the day they decided to take her.”

“Not before I do.”

Suddenly, Jimin and Jungkook’s phones chimed simultaneously – indicating they received a message. Both looked at their phones immediately and Jungkook felt his heart rate escalate. It wasn’t a matter of him losing hope as seeing the message renewed his vigor.

It was from Taehyung.

**Taehyung: _I found her. She’s near Namyangju in Gyeonggi-do. Somewhere in the Industrial District. I’m heading back now._**

Jungkook looked at Jimin the same time he did. Without uttering a word, they flung the doors open to the car and hopped in. Jimin fired up the engine and punched it, speeding out of Gangnam. Jungkook stared at his phone as more messages came through from the others. It didn’t take him long to figure out that they were closer to that location than everyone else. It was a half an hour drive, traffic willing.

They’d get there first.

**10:17 AM**

_Namyangju – Gyeonggi Province  
South Korea_

Jungkook felt like it took them a hundred years to get to their destination. With every mile marker they passed, it brought him one step closer to finding Eden. One step closer to bringing her home. He clung to the smallest shreds of his willpower not to scream at Jimin to drive faster. They didn’t need to get into any kind of accident before they reached her.

Jimin swung the car into an empty street, the desolate district eerie even in the morning light. Jungkook tumbled from the passenger side, all but tearing his seatbelt from his body in the process. Jimin called after him, but he paid him no mind. His legs ate up the ground as he ran headlong into the central area of the decrepit buildings.

No one lived in the abandoned sections of the province anymore, but the government hadn’t bothered with tearing it down. His hope began to dwindle, realizing just how expansive the district was. It would take them _hours_ to find her at this rate.

Resisting the urge to scream, he slowed to a jogging pace before stopping altogether. Running around blindly without a single clue as to where to look would get him nowhere. They were just wasting time. There was even the chance that the group would up and relocate themselves before they could even have a chance at finding them.

Eden would be lost forever.

He heard Jimin run up behind him, clapping a hand to his shoulder. Jungkook did his best to tether his scattered thoughts, chasing away the worst possibilities from his mind. He needed to calm down and think.

“There were a few cars parked near the back,” he said after catching his breath, “we might need to go up top to get a better idea of where they might be.”

Jungkook nodded, pointing straight ahead. “I’ll head to that building down there. Text me if you find anything.”

Just as he was about to take off, Jimin grabbed him – halting his movements.

“No, we stick together.” Jungkook opened his mouth to protest, but Jimin’s glare quickly silenced him. “If something happens, we won’t be able to do anything alone. We’re stronger together.”

While he wanted to argue, he knew that his brother was right. Even if splitting up would help them cover more ground, there was a good chance that they wouldn’t have a way to defend themselves if they got caught in a sticky situation. Jungkook did his best to push down his mounting impulsivities. Charging in blindly was foolish and would most likely get them killed.

“Alright, Hyung,” Jungkook said, relenting, “let’s go together.”

Not wasting another moment, they tore off down the center of the district – eyes rapidly searching in every direction their necks would allow them to turn.

**10:32 AM**

Minutes crept by at a snail’s pace.

Jungkook did everything he could to keep his head together. There were too many horrifying images playing rapidly in his head, like a flipbook that ended in blood splatters. Jimin stayed at his side, matching his pace as well as his fervor. Every so often, they would stop to peek into various buildings. They climbed up to higher vantage points to get a better lay of the area, dipping off to resume their search.

Everything looked so dead from the inside out.

A scream tore through the vast emptiness, causing Jungkook to trip over his own feet and he came crashing to the ground. Jimin was immediately beside him, grabbing him by the arm and hoisting him back up. Jungkook’s heart pounded double-time in his chest; it hurt. A cold sweat broke out over his skin and he couldn’t stop his body from trembling, even though Jimin rubbed small circles on his back.

“E-Eden,” he barely managed to croak, his legs shaking to the point where it was difficult to stand. Jimin continued to hold him up. “That was her!”

The sound was close.

Jimin said nothing. He continued to guide them along the path, turning around corners until he heard his wife scream again. It was even closer. They were almost to her!

He felt his brother release the hold he had on him and Jungkook involuntarily sagged against the side of a building. He didn’t know where they were or how deep into the district they’d gone. Jimin’s expression was focused and if he was feeling any sort of turmoil, it never showed. Not once.

The building they were pressed against was yellowed from age and neglect. Numerous cracks ran along the sides and bits of paint were peeling back; some pieces flying away from even the slightest gust of wind. The window had a long crack running from an upward angle to the corner of the pane; dirty and smudged. Jimin wiped a hand across the bottom to get rid of the dirt so he could see inside. Jungkook sidled up beside him to peek in as well.

He could feel Jimin’s vice-like grip on his shoulder, pinning him in place. Jungkook’s vision blurred momentarily before regaining focus, zeroing in on the image of his wife strung up like some animal. There were a few lackeys around and appeared to be bored – as if they were waiting for something interesting to happen. Jungkook felt the muscle at his jaw throbbing viciously as he clenched his teeth, grinding them in anger.

He wanted a gun. He would have emptied a clip into every single one of them.

Jungkook tried to move, but Jimin wouldn’t let him go.

“Hyung!” came his harsh whisper, but Jimin shook his head roughly.

“_Wait_, Jungkook,” he hissed back, finally letting him go, “just wait.”

“I _can’t_, dammit!”

“You can and _you will_.” Jimin’s words were final. “We don’t even know what kind of weapons they have in there. If Changkyun’s willing to play dirty like this, there’s no guarantee that his men won’t fill us full of holes with guns they obtained illegally.”

Jungkook wanted to protest, but he knew that Jimin was right. They needed to assess the situation fully before making a move. If they ran in there blindly without understanding what they were up against, there was a chance that Eden would die in the crossfire.

“So what now?”

Jimin continued to look through the window and he could see the wheels in his head turning. Strategy was his strongest suit so Jungkook did his best to be as patient as possible. A handful of seconds passed before he turned to meet his gaze.

“I’m going to go in from the front.”

“What?!” Jungkook gave him an incredulous look. “That’s crazy. Are you crazy?!”

“Shut-up and listen to me.” Jimin turned to look back through the window. “I’m going to draw their attention to me. This window is loose so as soon as I get them to chase me, I want you to go in and grab Eden and then get the hell out of here.”

He didn’t like this plan.

“There’s ten of them, Hyung. Maybe more. You can’t outrun them all.”

Jimin grinned, still peering into the building. “I can try.”

Jungkook grabbed his shoulder. “Hyung!”

He felt his arm being yanked off abruptly, causing him to take a step back. Jimin cast an icy glare in his direction.

“Do what I say.”

He wanted to protest again. He wanted to tell him that this was suicide. They should wait for the others. Wouldn’t that have been the smart thing?

But if they waited too long, then they may miss their chance. The Jade Fangs could probably swarm them, call for more men, and then overtake them completely. Jungkook knew that the plan was the best option they had right now.

It didn’t mean he had to like it.

Without waiting for him to agree or even disagree, Jimin turned and ran down one side of the building. He rounded the corner and disappeared on the other side, leaving Jungkook alone to wait. There was a distinct feeling of dread sweeping over him, telling him that there was danger to watch out for. But wasn’t that obvious? Didn’t they understand that, knowingly showing up to this place?

This was unavoidable.

A loud bang rang out inside the large interior. Jungkook peered over the bottom of the window, craning his neck as best he could. Light flooded into the dark space as he watched Jimin’s shadow stretching along the floor. All the men inside turned around, grabbing what weapons they had near them to launch an assault. Jimin immediately dispatched one of the lackeys close to the door before turning to run away from the building. All but two gave chase.

_Now!_

Jungkook thrust the window open, causing it to break further from the force. He leaped in through the opening and charged forward. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction caused by his entrance, Jungkook barreled into the man closest to him – taking him down with a swift grappling throw. The man landed on his head; a distinct _crack_ heard from his skull smacking into the concrete.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, a flash of silver, and he dodged at the last second. Whirling his body around, he jumped back with his arms extended out as another man tried to hit him with a metal bat. Jungkook bobbed and weaved out of the way, moving just out of reach at the last possible moment. Pivoting on his back leg, he waited for the man to try to swing at him again before catching the bat in his hand and pulling it toward him. The man slid on his heels, the distance closing rapidly. Jungkook aimed a kick straight for his stomach and sent him flying.

He brought the bat down over the man’s head for good measure.

With the two men unconscious, Jungkook swerved around and ran toward Eden. He did his best to avoid looking at her injuries, not wanting to distract himself from the most important task he had: freeing her. As he looked at her restraints, he did his best to concentrate on her face. She was semi-conscious, the noise bringing her out of whatever fugue state she was in.

“J-Jungkook-ah?” She coughed. “Y-You shouldn’t be here…”

“Shh,” he admonished, his eyes flicking over her bindings, “save your strength.”

His hands moved with lightning speed, fidgeting over the ropes and chains binding her as she hung from a large hook attached to the ceiling. When he finally managed to loosen the ropes, he lifted her up by her waist so he could untether her from the hook. Her arms dangled limply around his neck; the chains clamped around her wrists jingling together with the sudden movement.

Her body lacked the strength to keep herself upright and she nearly collapsed to the ground. Jungkook held fast to her, moving her arms over his head so he could undo the chains around her wrists. He could tell she’d lost weight and she seemed almost a shell of who he knew her to be. He focused on getting her to safety – choosing to smother his fury into the pit of his stomach.

“Go,” she whispered as he held onto her, “get out of here.” She coughed again. “Leave me.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he snapped, draping her arm over his shoulder as he held onto her waist, “now come on.”

Jungkook wouldn’t hear anymore of this nonsense, even if it was coming from the woman he loved. She was barefoot, but there wasn’t any glass on the ground. If she didn’t think she’d be able to walk, he’d carry her on his back and dare her to say otherwise.

Shuffling toward the entrance, he could hear men yelling in the distance. But it sounded like it was getting closer. Jimin was circling back, probably to make sure that they’d gotten out. If they could hold out a little longer, the others would come and then they could cause a big enough scene to get the hell out.

Just as he reached the entryway, he turned to make sure the two men he’d dealt with were still on the ground. Satisfied that they weren’t going to be getting up anytime soon, he turned back toward the exit.

A shadow moved from the corner. Eden saw it before he did. Jungkook shuffled to the left. He was half a step short.

The pain didn’t register at first. All he could focus on was Yoo Kihyun who was now directly in his path to freedom. It wasn’t until he saw the older man take a step forward that Jungkook took a step back. But not of his own freewill. He was _forced_ to step back.

The knife in his gut pushed him to move.

Eden screamed but he barely heard it. Jungkook nearly dropped her, but his stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to fall. Not in front of him; her captor. A chilling smile painted over Kihyun’s face as he tilted his head, peering into Jungkook’s eyes. It was like he was asking him what his next move would be without having to say it out loud. For a split second, Jungkook’s vision blurred.

Releasing the hold he had on Eden’s arm, he grabbed a hold of the knife and pushed back – pulling the blade slowly from his gut. Kihyun blinked in surprise at him, watching as he drew the older man’s arm away from his body while still holding his wife fast to him. Again, Eden screamed, but this time she moved with whatever strength was left in her body – arms reaching out in a feral manner.

She scratched her nails across Kihyun’s face, forcing him to reach up and cover his cheek. Jungkook stepped forward, pulling the knife completely from his stomach, before spinning it in his blood-soaked fingers to grasp the blade’s handle. Kihyun stumbled backward a step and Jungkook quickly closed the distance, plunging the knife directly into his shoulder and aiming a kick to his knee. He waited for him to hit the dirt before pulling Eden quickly behind him.

He didn’t have to express the need for urgency.

They both disappeared into a nearby cluster of reeds.

* * *

**10:45 AM**

Blood wept from the side of Jimin’s head as he rounded the corner of a building. He held onto a rusty metal pipe, clutching it at his side. He knew one of his ribs were broken, if not two, and there was a good chance he very nearly sprained his ankle hopping over a broken-down car to avoid being clobbered with a length of chain. He quickly did a tally in his head, making a note that he was able to knock down four of the eight that were chasing him. Two of them he tripped up along their pursuit and the rest were now trying to comb the nearby streets in search of him.

Hearing Eden’s scream forced him to double back toward the building where he’d left Jungkook. It wasn’t the sound of agony. It was of outrage. Something must have happened. He needed to get back to them and quickly.

Jimin wiped some of the sweat and blood from his head, spitting at the ground. Once his heart calmed down, he tried to ascertain his whereabouts. Just two buildings over and he’d be right back where he’d started.

_Come on, Park Jimin. Calm down and focus._

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out, eyeing the screen. It was from Yoongi.

**Yoongi: _We’re almost there! Where are you guys? Give us a landmark!_**

Taking a moment to breathe, he turned his head in every direction to try and gauge a decent landmark for the others to follow. There was a cluster of blue barrels far away from the abandoned buildings, just toward the edge where a large field of reeds were. He quickly texted him back, letting him know the location.

He slid the phone back into his pocket, gripping the metal pipe in both hands. Now he just needed to get back to Jungkook who, he hoped, had Eden in tow.

His phone buzzed again; this time in succession. Someone was calling him.

Dipping into a nearby building, he hunkered down in a shadowed corner to look at the phone. It was Jungkook. He answered.

“Jungkook-ah?”

_“H-Hyung…”_

Jimin could tell something was wrong.

“Where are you?”

_“T-The…the reeds…”_

He had to refrain from cursing. There were reeds in every direction. He took a breath to calm his nerves.

“What else do you see around you?”

There was a pregnant pause and he wondered if something was happening with the call.

_ Jimin-ah?”_

It was Eden. His heart practically jumped into his throat.

“Oh, thank God he got you out. Are you alright?”

_“Never mind that. Jungkook’s hurt.”_

He could hear the frantic tone in her voice. Jimin tried to smooth his voice out in a way that would help take the edge off for her.

“Okay, just breathe. Can you tell me where you guys are right now?”

_“I can’t really see anything. The reeds are so thick.”_

“Can you see any barrels around you?”

_“Hold on.”_

It was only a few seconds, but Jimin felt like he was losing years off his life as he waited for her to answer.

_“I can see some blue ones. But they’re far away.”_

He resisted the urge to smile. They weren’t that far from his current location.

“How far?”

_“Several yards. They’re across that dirt path.”_

“Okay, good.” His side screamed at him from the position he was in, but he ignored it. “I want you to meet me there, okay?”

It sounded like she was about to sob which unnerved him.

_“Can’t you just come here? Jungkook’s hurt badly and I don’t have the strength to carry him.”_

Jimin hissed quietly to himself. _ I told him to be careful… _ He took a breath. “Alright, I’ll come to you. I’ll be there soon.”

_“Hurry!”_

Ending the call, Jimin slipped out the back of the building and made his way around the next bend. Part of him wanted to throw the pipe off in a different direction, hoping the noise would distract others away from his path. But if they got flanked, he’d need a way to defend Eden, Jungkook, and himself. Especially if Jungkook was as hurt as Eden claimed he was.

_This isn’t good_, he thought, tearing through the back alleyway and heading up the side of the street to disappear into the thicket of reeds.

**10:57 AM**

Even though he knew he’d only traveled a few blocks, it felt like he’d been moving for miles. Each turn he made, Jimin thought he was getting more and more lost. Every so often, he’d turn his head to look over his shoulder and spy out the buildings – making sure that he was still on a straight path to the others. He heard some of the other men shouting at each other, trying to figure out where they’d gone, and each of these times, Jimin would pause so that he didn’t give away his position.

Just as he was about to resume his search, he heard a distinct shuffling sound off to his right. It was close.

“J-Jimin-ah? Is that you?”

It was Eden. She sounded exhausted and halfway to the underworld, but it was her. Jimin quickly darted in the direction of her voice, parting the reeds in front of him as he went.

A lump of ice dropped in his stomach at what he saw.

There, cradled in her arms, was Jungkook. A large blood stain blossomed from his shirt and he saw Eden pressing his jacket to his stomach and putting pressure on the injury. She was crying, doing her best to keep her sobs nonexistent so they didn’t alert the others of where they were. She looked up, relief and despair battling for dominance over her features. Jimin dropped the pipe in his hands, his legs slowly carrying him toward Jungkook just as he spit up blood from his mouth.

“J-Jungkook-ah,” he stammered, collapsing to his knees.

Despite the obvious pain he was in, Jungkook flashed him a smile full of blood-stained teeth. “H-Hyung,” he managed to get out, albeit garbled from a mouthful of blood, “what took you so long?”

Jimin didn’t have the energy to snap back. He felt like part of his soul just left him completely. His eyes roved over Jungkook’s body, trying to figure out the cause of his brother’s current state. He lifted his gaze to meet Eden’s.

“What happened?”

“It was Kihyun,” she said weakly while brushing some of the fringe off of Jungkook’s forehead, “he came out of nowhere and—”

“That doesn’t matter,” Jungkook interjected, causing them both to focus on him, “Hyung, get her out of here.”

Another piece of his soul was pulled away.

“W-What?”

Eden shifted him in her arms, clinging to him in desperation. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Yes, _you are_.” Jungkook reached up to his neck, grabbing the necklace and popping it off in one quick motion. He smeared blood over his skin and clothes, holding it up for Eden. “Take it and go.”

She emphatically shook her head and Jimin could tell that even doing this was zapping her of what strength she had left.

“You bastard,” she muttered, curling her fingers into the fabric of his jacket, “how can you expect me to leave you? Huh?” Eden lowered herself, pulling him against her body to hug him close. “Till death do us part, remember?”

Jungkook did his best to wrap an arm around her, coughing more blood out and staining her shirt. “…and this…is where…we part.”

Eden shot back, looking down at Jungkook as tears streamed down her face, dripping onto his cheeks.

“J-Jungkook,” she stammered, her bottom lip trembling as her voice shook.

Again, he smiled up at her. “I love you, Eden.” He grabbed her hand and placed the necklace inside her palm, closing her fingers over it. “If…if I’m reborn, let me love you in the next life too, okay?”

Jimin could hear his own heart shattering in his chest.

“Hyung…take her and go.”

“But Jungkook-ah—”

“_Please_.”

Tears leaked out of Jimin’s eyes. It took everything he had, but he stood up and crossed over to where Eden was. She continued to hold onto her husband, refusing to let go even as Jimin tried to pull her up and onto her feet. She fought him but even she knew that she didn’t have the strength to keep it up. Jimin held her against him and they both gazed at the satisfied and peaceful expression on Jungkook’s face. He nodded to them, mouthing for them to go.

Jimin turned, hauling Eden with him as she wailed silently into the crook of his shoulder.

_I’ll come back for you, Jungkook. I won’t leave you alone out here..._

* * *

**11:05 AM**

He knew that it was only a few minutes since he watched Eden and his brother leave. In those few minutes, Jungkook believed it was several lifetimes. In those few minutes, he thought back to everything that led to this very moment. All the choices he’d made, the road he’d traveled, and the people he’d traveled on that road with along the way.

He regretted nothing up until that moment.

The only thing he knew he would have to repent for would be leaving his beautiful wife behind alone. They’d had a few chapters written in their life together, but they were pages filled with hopes and dreams for an uncertain future. Life never gave guarantees. The only certainty for life was death. It was the same for everyone.

The sun was reaching its peak over the skies. There were very little clouds littering the pale blue blanket above him and he wasn’t sure if it was the bright light that was making it difficult to see or something else. Jungkook lost feeling to the lower half of his body nearly two minutes earlier.

Again, he coughed and more blood sprayed from his mouth. Tears brimmed his eyes, slipping from the corners to seep into his ears.

_My brothers…_

Jungkook could feel his eyelids growing a little heavier with each passing second, but he forced them to stay open.

_Eden…_

But the darkness began to creep around the corners of his vision, blurring out the light until it was a faint glow in his line of sight.

He wanted to keep feeling the warmth of the sun on his face until the very end.

_…until we meet again._


	53. Promise

"Even if you feel that you are alone,  
don’t throw yourself away."

**11:11AM**

Jimin felt like stones were in his boots and pockets, but he continued to pull Eden alongside him. She’d stopped crying shortly after they parted from Jungkook. He could only guess that she understood the urgency of their situation, keeping herself as silent as possible. Jimin held her hand tightly in his, giving it a few reassuring squeezes every handful of seconds. He didn’t know how far into the reeds they were heading, but he knew he needed to circle around a few times to make sure the Jade Fang posse didn’t try to flank them at any given moment.

The image of Jungkook’s bloody smile, urging him to go, made his feet fall heavier against the grass. Not paying attention, his ankle nearly rolled in a small pothole, causing him to stumble forward half a step. Eden followed suit, but her ability to recover on short notice was nonexistent, and she tumbled to the ground on her knees. He quickly knelt beside her, checking to see if she’d hurt anything major.

It was the first time he was able to get a good look at her.

Bruises and welts littered her arms and legs. A few of the angry red lines bubbled crimson, threatening to spill out across her olive skin. Her jeans were now cut-offs, having been ripped away from the abuse she’d endured over the past six days. She had no shoes. The vibrant raven curls were matted with blood and neglect, tangled around her shoulders with a collection of dirt nesting in the strands. Lips that were often pressed over a cigarette or curled into a playful smile were now cracked and dry from dehydration. There was a large bloodstain across the front of her shirt where Jungkook embraced her, still slick and soaked into the fabric.

Her eyes, however, broke Jimin’s heart further. They appeared soulless; empty. It was as if all the fight he knew existed inside of her was gone; knocked completely out of her system.

“You’re hurt.”

Jimin recoiled, the sound of her voice so close giving him a start. She’d been staring at the ground earlier, but now she turned those empty eyes toward him. Her hand went to his face, to the side where his injury was still weeping blood. He caught her hand by the wrist moments before her fingers could press to his skin. She blinked and he smiled warmly toward her while massaging the inside of her palm with his thumb.

“I’m fine,” he whispered.

He didn’t want to see any more blood on her. Not even his.

Releasing her hand, his own went to massage her bare feet. She tried to pull away from him, but he held fast to her ankles to keep them in place. They were swollen and bruised. He urged her to pull her legs up so that her knees were upright, and he pressed soothing circles along the tops of her feet. Every so often he felt her jump under his ministrations, a soft hiss escaping through her teeth.

Jimin was thankful that Eden let him work in silence. Neither of them could say anything; the heaviness weighing on both of their hearts so paramount that it rendered them speechless. He focused on alleviating the stress on her feet; nothing else. He couldn’t allow himself to think about too much else. They were still in imminent danger and there was always the chance that they could be overtaken at any given moment. His senses were on high alert, refusing to be distracted by any sounds not immediately in his range of focus.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Eden croaked weakly. His hands paused but he didn’t look at her. “You both should never have come for me.”

“Noona,” he said softly, resuming his movements, “stop.”

Jimin felt her legs tremble underneath his hands.

“If you’d just left me there, then Jungkook wouldn’t be…”

“Please stop.”

Eden covered her face with her hands, attempting to smother out the sob that threatened to come out.

“…you should have just let me die.”

“_Jesu-ssi,_” seethed Jimin.

His hands ceased moving and he cut his eyes toward Eden as she slowly lowered her hands down from her face. The honorific must have shaken her as this was the first time he’d used it. He couldn’t formally call her his sister-in-law since Jungkook was hell-bent on keeping their marriage a secret for the time being. The title gave her pause, long enough for her to cease her shaking – her hands moving to cling at the grass around them.

“Don’t dishonor his sacrifice. My brother, _your husband_, wouldn’t want to hear you talking like that.” His icy expression melted, easing into the face that he knew he could always show her. The face he always _did_ show her. “And I don’t want to either.”

Eden appeared to regain her senses, her expression hardening with determination. She nodded and he smiled, waiting for her to catch her breath before he continued to massage her legs and feet.

He finished up, rolling back on his heels as he moved into a crouched position. Eden gathered herself up, resting her knees on the grass. Jimin erased his breath, hyper-focusing on the area around them.

_…it’s too quiet._

He hadn’t heard any movements, save for their own, for quite some time now. This didn’t sit easy with him, but he swallowed his mounting nerves for Eden’s sake. She was already rattled from so much trauma and he didn’t want to add to it by revealing his own unease. Instead, he remained reticent and alert.

Jimin’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he held Eden’s hand when he saw her nearly jump to her feet from the sudden noise. Holding a finger up to his lips, he pulled out his phone to check the screen. It was another message from Yoongi.

**Yoongi: _We’ll be there in ten minutes!_**

Smiling, he didn’t bother responding. There wasn’t much time and Jimin knew he had to get them to the blue barrels. Judging from the distance and all the zigzagging they’d done, they were further from their destination than they’d been earlier. He slowly rose to his feet, pulling Eden up with him. There seemed to be a little bit more life in her eyes this time which gave him some relief.

“Who was it?”

“Yoongi Hyung.” He felt her squeezing his hand. “He and the others are on their way.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Lacing his fingers through hers, Jimin pulled her along gently. He didn’t want to risk giving her a piggyback ride as that would put her head above the reeds. The lower they stayed, the safer they were.

**11:17AM**

Every so often, he would stop so Eden could take a rest. Jimin mentally cursed himself for running them deeper into the thicket instead of closer to the meeting spot. As problematic as Eden’s injuries were, they didn’t have the luxury to stop. They had to keep going.

“Do you remember when we first met?” he asked suddenly, his voice quiet as they moved.

“Who could forget?” Eden said softly. He could hear the smile in her voice. “You saw me shootin’ dice with those homeless guys.”

He bit back a laugh. Jimin mistook her for a homeless person because of all the grease and oil smudges on her clothes and face. Her clothes were frumpy and her hair was pulled back into one of her infamous work-buns with a bandana wrapped around it. The cigarette she smoked was a little beat up, but she smiled mischievously as she collected her winnings. It was a paltry amount, but she didn’t even keep it. Instead, she threw some of her own cash into the pile, making the men promise to use it on food and not booze.

“I can’t believe you thought I was some street bum,” she muttered.

“You looked terrible and I assumed.” Jimin pushed out a path for them, noting the terrain. They would need to circle around one more time to get back on their desired route. “What else was I supposed to think?”

“Apparently you thought I needed saving.”

He did. Jimin offered to bring her to his church. He didn’t know she was a Christian herself. He remembered her thanking him since, apparently, she’d been searching for a church to attend to for some time. Jimin recalled how hard she cuffed him when he told her she needed to stop gambling in order to get right with God.

“’Jesus loves me just the way I am’ is what you said.”

“_No_,” she countered, “’Jesus loves me just the way I am, and you should too’ is what I said.”

“And I do.”

He felt a tug at his arm from Eden stopping suddenly. Jimin turned to look at her and saw a confused look on her face. His expression softened, feeling an overwhelming sense of longing washing over him. He wouldn’t elaborate on the meaning of his words, however, despite knowing that the look she gave was asking for just that: elaboration. It wasn’t the time and it wasn’t the place. He didn’t think it ever would be.

Instead, he gave her his usual smile – the smile he knew she could trust and believe in; rely on.

_I love you._

A twig snapped and Jimin’s body reacted. Lowering himself, he dashed to the right – yanking Eden along with him. Their position was compromised and they needed to hurry before getting overtaken. Jimin assessed their location as he pulled Eden down beside him, crouching low to cover themselves in the shadows of the reeds. Footsteps rushed nearby, the owners pausing every so often to look around and search the area. They quieted their breathing and he frowned when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket again. The others were close, if not already there.

Jimin couldn’t worry about his brothers. They would be smart and stay out of sight.

“Let’s go,” he whispered to Eden, “we’re going to make a run for it.”

She nodded, gripping onto his hand harder.

“On the count of three, okay? One…two…three!”

They bolted from their crouched positions, barreling through the reeds as fast as they could. Jimin forced himself to steady his pacing, knowing that Eden’s strength was all but gone. Pushing her this hard would hurt, but he prayed that her stubborn nature would ignore her injuries long enough to get to safety. Even as the reeds cut and grabbed at them, Jimin pressed on. Eden’s labored breathing became more and more evident, and he apologized to her internally. They couldn’t stop. They had to keep going. Her freedom, her escape from this place, took precedence over everything else in Jimin’s mind.

He would shield her when the time came.

A sharp whistling sound cut through their breaths. Jimin grabbed Eden, pulling her hard to the left. His eyes darted to the side – noting that some kind of projectile was fired. But it wasn’t a bullet. He hadn’t heard a gun fire and even a silencer had a distinct tone when suppressing the sound of a bullet being discharged.

Horrifying realization squeezed against his lungs.

_It’s a crossbow!_

The _shiff_ of another projectile resounded and Jimin jumped, slamming his shoulder into Eden’s. They both fell to the ground right as he saw the bolt fly by – just barely clipping Eden’s ear. He blanketed her entire body with his own, his hand resting on the back of her head to keep her face down to the grass. Their bodies moved in time with their breathing, heavy and rushed.

“Dammit,” he muttered, glaring over his shoulder, “we’re close.”

Eden whined. He felt her shoulders trembling and he knew that she was very aware of their current predicament. The sound of feet pounding into the grass and reeds breaking cut through the panic threatening to suffocate him.

“Noona, listen to me,” he said into the shell of Eden’s ear, “when I tell you, I want you to run straight in that direction.” Eden lifted her head as he pointed to the East of them. “Don’t even think about stopping, no matter what you hear. Yoongi Hyung and the others will be waiting for you.”

Something passed over her face and her eyes widened. “What about you?”

“They’re shooting at us, so I’m going to draw their fire.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“You sound like Jungkook right now.” Jimin smiled while shaking his head. “I’ll be fine. It’s faster for you to get to them first. I’m right behind you.”

“How can you be right behind me when you’re going to draw them _away_ from me?”

“Stop being stubborn and just do what I say. I’m faster than you right now.”

Eden seemed to process what he was saying and she sighed angrily, tugging and ripping at the grass within her reach. He knew she couldn’t argue with him. Jimin left no room for her to.

Jimin took a breath, held it, then released it slowly. Then, he rolled from her body completely.

“Go!”

Like a track runner, Eden bolted from the ground and tore through the reeds – disappearing from his sight in a matter of seconds. He smiled ruefully to himself before rolling onto his side to stand. His eyes noted the fresh splatters of blood on the ground and he quickly checked his body for any injuries he may have missed. As he followed the trail, he saw that it led in the direction Eden was heading.

Her injuries worsened and she was bleeding out.

“Shit,” he said, doubling back and heading after her.

His mind was rattled with his need to chase Eden. How could he have put that pressure on her knowing what state her body was in? If he ran full-speed, Jimin knew that he would be able to close the distance she’d put between them easily.

He didn’t hear the crunch of grass behind him until the last second. He didn’t note the danger until it was too late. Pain exploded across his shoulder blade, the force of the impact knocking him off kilter. Jimin grit his teeth, whirling his body around and keeping it upright. He reached behind his shoulder, grasping at the bolt protruding from his back. His nerves screamed in protest to the amount of pressure he was forcing in his attempt to pull the bolt out of him.

The harsh whistle of another arrow flying at him caused Jimin to throw his body backward, the force of him hitting the ground breaking the bolt in half. He could feel what remained of the arrow burying itself further into his shoulder blade and he opened his mouth to silently scream.

Jimin’s vision blurred instantly. The pain he felt was immeasurable. More reeds broke as he heard the many approaching footsteps to his spot. He dragged his elbows along the grass, attempting to shuffle into a nearby thicket to hide himself. But as he moved, he saw the tell-tale trail of blood smeared near his legs. Even if he hid, they’d be able to find him without much effort.

Deciding to stay where he was, he waited for his assailants to reveal themselves. In seconds, he watched the reeds part as two Jade Fang members appeared with Sohn Shownu right behind them. Propped on his shoulder was a crossbow gun. It didn’t take Jimin long to see that another bolt was prepped in the chamber.

“You know, I’ve never been a fan of these things.” Shownu shrugged the shoulder the gun rested on. “But I have to admit, they’re pretty useful.”

Jimin scoffed. “A little unfair, don’t you think?”

Shownu lowered the gun, cradling it in his arms as he pointed the end of the bolt directly at Jimin. “I’m afraid this isn’t about being fair, Jimin-ah.” He squeezed the trigger to release the bolt directly into Jimin’s leg. The pain was expected, albeit sudden, and Jimin yelled in outrage. “It’s about making a point.”

A coppery tang registered in Jimin’s mind. He’d bitten his tongue.

“And what point would that be?” he growled through his teeth.

Smirking, Shownu reloaded another bolt into the gun. “That this isn’t personal. Any last words?”

Jimin said nothing. He only glared up at the man he’d once called “Hyung” years ago.

Shownu aimed the gun a little higher, the point of the bolt glinting off the morning sunlight. “You should take comfort in knowing that you and Taehyung are leaving this world the same way.”

For a moment, clarity sank in the pit of Jimin’s stomach. If Taehyung was dead, then the person who messaged them about Eden was preparing this trap. It was all a setup!

“Goodbye, Park Jimin.”

**11:27AM**

It was cold.

His body felt _so_ cold.

He’d been alone for about five minutes now. Maybe six. His math might have been wrong.

Jimin’s fingers curled around the crossbow bolt that was lodged in his stomach. He felt the sticky trail of his blood leaking from his mouth beginning its descent along his neck. His body forced him to cough involuntarily, the pain around his stomach and back now a phantom ache humming along his skin.

Where his body lacked the ability to move, his mind raced – a rapid succession of flash frames. Jimin could only laugh weakly, more blood bubbling from his mouth and raining down on the ground. His body protested against the movements, but he shifted one hand from around the bolt to dig into the pocket of his jeans. Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for.

The phone rang twice before going to voicemail.

_“Yo, this is Kim Taehyung! I’m probably busy, y’know, out livin’ the good life, but leave a message and I’ll think about hittin’ you back up. Later!”_

“Ya, Kim Taehyung,” Jimin croaked, spitting up more blood as he chuckled, “you son of a bitch. How could you just take off for the gates of the Underworld alone? Huh?” Tears formed in his eyes as he stared listlessly into the sky. “Don’t even think about stirring up a bunch of shit without me. Jungkook and I will be there soon.”

With what strength he had left, Jimin hung up the call. His arm dropped limply at his side, the phone sliding from his fingers to rest in the grass. He blinked hot tears to clear his vision.

_Huh_ , he thought as the tears continued to fall, _strange. I don’t feel cold anymore._

As his vision began to focus, he saw the large expanse of sky above him. Jimin tilted his head, as though he were looking at it for the first time in his life. There was a sense of wonderment that lingered in his mind, the feeling in his body numbing slowly from his feet up.

_“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”_

_Forgive me, my brothers..._

And then he felt it. Warmth. He could feel the warmth of the sun on not just his face, but his entire body. Jimin smiled, closing his eyes slowly so that he could bask in it fully. The thought of Eden making it to safety passed through his mind as a soft breeze brushed against him.

_...we will meet again, I promise._


	54. First Love

_"Don’t let go of my hand forever,  
I won’t let go of you again either."_

**11:22 AM**

Providence kept Min Yoongi from behind the wheel. There was a good chance that he would have killed both Seokjin and himself in the process. Instead, he focused all his attention on his cell phone. There was an ever-mounting feeling of dread as they sped their way toward Namyangju. Jungkook and Jimin were closer when it came to distance so he knew that they would arrive there first. It was his own fault for being so stubborn. Yoongi insisted that Changkyun wouldn’t have been stupid enough to keep Eden so close to Seoul. But he also wasn’t dumb enough to put her on a plane and fly her off to another country when there were CCTV cameras all over the place.

Taehyung tracked Changkyun all the way to Jeju Island, persistent in wanting to keep his ear to the ground and figure out any clues. Again, Yoongi believed it to be a fruitless endeavor. The Jade Fangs were too smart for that. They wouldn’t give anything away.

Call him a fool when they all received the text from Taehyung with the location of Eden’s whereabouts. Of course, as luck would have it, Yoongi and Seokjin were a full hour away from Gyeonggi Province. Namjoon and Hoseok were an hour and fifteen. Even if they broke all traffic laws, they’d still get there late. Every hour and every minute counted.

She’d already suffered for six days.

Yoongi wasn’t a religious man, but he clasped his hands together – phone pressed between palms – and prayed that they would reach them in time. He prayed that the boys got to her first and they were already meeting them at their agreed location. What patience and willpower he had, he used it to keep himself from shouting at Seokjin to drive faster.

Sensing his urgency, he felt Seokjin push the car even faster. They were almost there, but it worried him that neither Jimin nor Jungkook replied to his texts. Additionally, why hadn’t Taehyung said anything? It was only an hour flight from Jeju back to Seoul. He should have at least landed at the airport by now. Unless there was something else happening that was preventing him from getting to his phone.

The minute they arrived at the abandoned Industrial District, Yoongi burst from the car and took off in a dead run. His eyes quickly scanned the area for the landmark that Jimin told him about earlier. He was thankful that his younger brother had the wherewithal to take a photo, otherwise they would have been running around for ages; a literal needle in a haystack of bullshit.

Seokjin paused near the edge of the road leading to the heart of the industrial district. Yoongi ran past him, pausing long enough to see that his eyes were trained to the ground. He slowed his run until he came to a complete stop.

“Hyung, what is it?”

He watched as Seokjin knelt on one knee to inspect the ground. “…there’s tire tread here.” He touched it. “It’s warm.”

Yoongi frowned. “Maybe it was the boys?” His heart hammered in his chest. “Maybe they got Eden out.”

Seokjin stood while shaking his head. He pointed further down the road. “Jimin’s car is there. They took a different route than us and parked as far out of sight as they could.”

“Then where the hell are they?” He growled out the question, even though he knew Seokjin didn’t have an answer.

Again, Yoongi pulled out his phone and jogged around various streets to locate the blue barrels by the reeds that Jimin mentioned. He was able to take a full five steps before a scream tore through the silence. Yoongi felt his heart plummet to his gut before it shot back up and into his throat. He glanced over his shoulder to his older brother, seeing the look of fear clouding over Seokjin’s face.

“J-Jimin-ah,” murmured Yoongi.

His legs felt frozen solid. He couldn’t move. Seokjin moved instead, tearing through the street and disappearing into the reeds.

What was happening?

What the hell was even happening right now?

* * *

**11:26 AM**

He tripped.

He tripped and fell into the grass.

That was how Seokjin found Jungkook’s body.

When he managed to recover from the fall, he had to rub his eyes furiously to make sure that what he was seeing was, in fact, reality. Jungkook’s body lay lifeless, but there was a peaceful expression on his face. He was smiling, despite the blood smears coated around his mouth and chin. Seokjin could see where stains of tears were dried around his cheeks and eyes.

His gaze lowered to the gash in his stomach. He could surmise that this was what caused his end. His jacket was bunched near his hip, presumably where he was trying to stop the flow of blood. Jungkook’s eyes were still open, as if staring into the sky and greeting someone before being pulled from life.

Seokjin crawled slowly toward his little brother, his hands shaking violently. He hadn’t even realized he’d begun crying until he pulled Jungkook into his arms, cradling him like a child. Seokjin slowly brushed his brother’s hair out of his eyes before smoothing his fingers down and over his eyelids, closing them. If not for the blood around his mouth, Jungkook would have appeared to be asleep.

He wrapped his arms around him, pulling his bloodied body against his chest. Seokjin felt a sound bubbling around his chest, a sound he’d been suppressing for several seconds. But as he held his brother’s cold, dead body, he knew he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Seokjin lifted his head to the sky, releasing a sorrowful wail.

He screamed until his throat hurt.

And then he screamed again.

He cried until he felt like his soul was weeping inside of himself.

But he knew it would not be heard by any deity.

Because they’d already reclaimed what was theirs.

But that didn’t mean that it was fair.

* * *

**11:28 AM**

“Seokjin Hyung!”

Yoongi stumbled as he walked around, holding his phone as he continued to try to find the barrels near the reeds. He forced himself to remain focused, ignoring the painful cry that he heard coming from the inner sanctum of the reeds. Yoongi refused to follow, maintaining his current course. Jimin was reliable and he would never let them down. He was the steadfast rock; always present and always ready to have anyone’s back should they trip and fall.

“HYUNG!”

He heard Seokjin in the distance as he continued to cry. With every step Yoongi took, he felt what strength he had seeping out of him and soaking into the ground. For a moment, his vision watered and he quickly shook his head to regain focus. His hearing was muffled under the heavy thrum of his heart battering against his chest.

This was a nightmare.

This wasn’t _real_.

“HYUUUUNG!”

Yoongi could barely hear his own voice. He tripped over his feet and tumbled to the ground, catching the concrete under his palms. He didn’t care that he probably had cuts under his fingers. All he could do was curl one hand into a fist and pound it into his chest over and over. He tried to quiet his heart; to keep it from telling him the one truth that he had absolutely no desire to hear.

Something snapped in the brush, causing Yoongi to jerk his head in the direction of the sound. He reached toward his leg, retrieving his boot knife, preparing to strike anyone who dared to come at him in hostility. But as the reeds swayed back and forth, he heard desperate and labored breathing pulsing from within. Seconds later, Eden burst through the thicket – looking like the very image of one who was being chased by the devil.

She didn’t seem to notice him, her eyes darting in every direction before she started running across and away from him. Yoongi’s ability to speak was momentarily absent, his eyes moving along the path she was half running, half stumbling toward.

The blue barrels were several yards away.

Scrambling to his feet, Yoongi dropped his knife and sprinted toward Eden. It wasn’t hard to close the distance between them and he didn’t have to look at her long to see the state she was in. Her eyes were wild – practically manic. She had one thing on her mind and one thing only. No one would stop her, but he had to try.

Yoongi slammed into Eden, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She immediately screamed, flailing her arms and legs in every direction. Sweat ran in rivulets along her face and neck, mixing in with the dirt and blood that coated her body. Yoongi leaned back just as she swung to hit his face, to scratch and maim and perform every act possible to obtain her freedom; like a wild beast.

“Eden!”

She screamed harder, crying. She hadn’t heard him.

“Eden, it’s me!”

Eden ceased her attack for a handful of seconds, her body shaking as he watched the adrenaline wash over her. She craned her neck to look at Yoongi. The fear and anxiety that seemed to cloud over her eyes visibly lifted. Her dry lips parted, as though she were about to say something, but then tears formed, and she began to cry instead.

“Y-Yoongi-ah,” she hiccupped, curling her fingers into his shoulders, “Y-Yoongi…”

Yoongi felt Eden’s weight collapsing against him and with as frayed as his own nerves were, he couldn’t maintain standing for very long. His legs gave out, but he continued to hold Eden close as they both hit the ground together. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he held Eden in his lap – cradling her as she continued to cry into his chest.

He couldn’t say anything to comfort her. What _could_ he say to ease her sorrow? Yoongi thought of something to say, but it all sounded so contrived in his head. So he simply held her, cradling the back of her head with one hand as he rocked back and forth on the ground.

His eyes focused on the frayed bits of fabric around her shoulder where bruises and welts remained. She trembled in increments versus constantly which, in a way, worried Yoongi. As she continued to weep into his jacket, his gaze shifted to the place she’d come from. There was a trail of blood that followed her - scattered between shaking footprints and droplets. He furrowed his brows, his eyeline moving back to her beaten and battered form in his lap.

What he believed to have been her tears soaking his clothing was actually her blood. He gasped, pulling Eden away to get a better look at her. Trails of crimson seeped along her legs and arms and as he pulled his hand away, he saw it smeared with blood that wept from her back. 

“Eden! Hey!”

Yoongi shook her gingerly and her head rolled back along her shoulder. He didn’t think it was possible, but her olive complexion appeared slightly discolored. Her mouth opened and closed, as if attempting to obtain moisture from somewhere. Yoongi had no water to give her and the weight of that guilt caused tears to brim around his eyes. 

The sound of another vehicle approaching barely registered to him. The tires squealed and two pairs of doors slammed and desperately thudding feet grew closer. He didn’t have to look to know that it was Hoseok and Namjoon. 

“Eden-ssi!” he heard Namjoon say as he skidded down to one knee beside them. Yoongi brushed some of her hair from her forehead. “Yoongi Hyung, is she--”

“I don’t know,” he said quietly, “Jin Hyung is somewhere in the reeds. I don’t know where Jungkook and Jimin are.”

“We’ll find them,” Hoseok reassured.

Yoongi barely heard them running off in the direction of where he’d heard Seokjin’s screams. They wouldn’t be greeted with anything pleasant. It would break them.

No. They were _already_ broken.

“Y-Yoongi-ah…”

Eden’s voice, frail and raspy, sounded like a gong in his head - rattling through his entire body. He slowly turned to look down at her, blinking at the weak smile she gave him. Canting his head slightly, Yoongi found himself momentarily amazed at the look she was giving him. He couldn’t remember a time when she appeared so gentle - so _unguarded_.

She slowly reached into her pocket and dug around for something. He wanted to stop her, but her calm expression prevented him from doing so. Pulling her hand from her pocket, she held her fist out to him. Using the hand that wasn’t holding her upright, he moved to situate his palm under where her hand was as she opened it. 

In his hand was a bloody necklace chain, a single band looped through it. He didn’t understand the meaning behind what she was holding until he saw Eden’s hand move to her own neck. She pulled at the pendant dangling from the chain, breaking it, and then placed the item into his hand alongside the other one. It was a ring.

It was a _pair_ of rings.

Absolute certainty crashed through Yoongi’s heart, shattering what remained. Her fingers curled into his palm and over the two rings; he could feel her arm shaking from the strength it took to perform such a simple action. His vision continued to blur with the onset of tears, watching her hand move from his to lift and reach for his face.

He didn’t have the mind to reach back.

“I...forgive you, Yoongi-ah,” she whispered gently, “I’m...sorry...I didn’t sooner.”

Yoongi coughed out the sob he’d been pushing down into his stomach. His tears fell in succession, the ache in his heart shifting fully to the front and twisting in his chest. He didn’t have to be told what was about to happen. But that didn’t mean he had to be accepting of it. 

“No,” he said, his voice barely audible over the sound of his heart jack hammering into his ribs, “Nononono...NO! You can’t!” 

Yoongi succumbed to the selfishness in his heart, pulling Eden hard against him as he resumed rocking her back and forth in his arms. Something akin to a death knell reverberated through his chest as he cried, burying his face into the crown of her head. The childish part of him, the part that drew up a sliver of hope as though from an empty well, believed if he clung to her hard enough that she couldn’t be whisked away. 

That she wouldn’t leave him to drown in the suffering that was sure to come.

He could hear Namjoon and Hoseok calling for their brothers. Seokjin didn’t call back, but something inside of Yoongi knew this was the end. This was the end for the brothers he lost in the reeds. What Hoseok and Namjoon would find would only result in the same sorrowful cry he heard coming from Seokjin earlier.

The same sound erupting from him as he practically crushed Eden into his chest.

“Eden, you can’t…” His voice was muffled in the matted mess of her curls. “...you can’t do this.” As tears continued to fall, he could feel oncoming sobs wracking through him while rocking Eden like a sleeping child. “You can’t forgive me for all the wrongs I’ve done against you. You can’t deny me the opportunity to make up for all the things I’ve neglected to do for you...to make it up to you.”

His hand slowly stroked along the back of her head, pressing his fingers along the nape of her neck. Even though he knew she was gone, Yoongi still spoke as if she could still hear him; that her spirit had not yet departed from this world.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard the anguished sounds of his brothers. They must have found their other brother. Yoongi shifted his body so that he could rest his knees on the ground. He refused to remove Eden from him, instead maneuvering his body so that he could lift her in his arms like a groom carrying his blushing bride from the festivities of friends and family as they left the chapel.

He carried her in the way he’d longed to carry her, but knew that the opportunity was granted to someone else. To his youngest brother that he knew was gone.

Yoongi walked away from the reeds, his legs heavy with guilt and not from the weight of the woman he loved in his arms. His first love; his last love. 

_Jungkook-ah,_ he thought, eyes staring listlessly ahead as he moved, _you decided to take her with you, huh?_ Yoongi’s eyes moved to stare at Eden’s face; her eyes closed and peaceful, as if she was sleeping. It wasn’t fair but he knew he didn’t have a right to complain. _I guess I can’t blame you. Forgive your Hyung for not being able to see you off._

Just as he made it to the car, he paused to look up at the sky - the sunlight blinding him to the point where he was left with no choice but to close his eyes.

_...until we meet again in the next life._


	55. Tear

_"My heart is ripping, just set it on fire  
so the pain and the feelings won’t remain."_

_Seoul - Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

“You’re lying.”

“Raelyn...”

“You are lying to me right now.”

“Listen to me--”

“STOP LYING!”

Her breathing was labored; harsh. Raelyn could feel the veins protruding from her neck as her spine went ramrod. A hand went to her swollen stomach, feeling the small life kicking in protest to its mother’s sudden spike in emotion. Hoseok stared pointedly at her, not breaking the harsh glare that she was undoubtedly throwing at him. She ignored the other people in the hospital that looked at the spectacle she was making, but she didn’t care. Raelyn couldn’t even begin processing what the hell she’d just been told.

Hoseok was telling her lies. Or someone was trying to prank her. Taehyung was capable of such a moronic thing and she planned to give him a solid ass beating the minute she saw him. If he put the others up to this, then they would _all_ have hell to pay. Because this joke wasn’t even remotely close to being funny.

“I swear to God, Hoseok, if Taehyung is tryin’ to pull a fast one--”

The look on his face gave her pause. She couldn’t quite read it, but she could at least tell that he wasn’t playing around. No. The Jung Hoseok she knew wasn’t the sort to joke around about something so serious.

Yet Raelyn still couldn’t believe him.

Not until she saw Yoongi enter through the sliding glass doors with her best friend in his arms.

Raelyn’s legs turned to jelly and she fell forward. Thankfully Hoseok was there to catch her, holding her in his arms as she squeezed his forearms in a death-grip. There was no way that any of this was real. 

She thought back to when she told Eden to call her as soon as she’d gotten to Daegu. When she hadn’t heard from her initially, Jungkook reassured her that she must have been caught up with all the meeting and greeting and getting to know one another. It was unsurprising that she wouldn't call on the first day. Raelyn immediately thought the worst when two days passed and she hadn’t received a response to any of her text messages.

Both Raelyn and Anastasia prayed for the return of their friend when it was discovered that she was kidnapped by the Jade Fang members. The boys refused to let them go anywhere without supervision and, at first, they were hell-bent on protesting against it. But when Hoseok furiously explained how dire the situation was, they had no other choice but to relent. They didn’t want to put themselves at risk and cause others undue stress while hunting down Eden’s whereabouts. 

Raelyn pulled herself away from Hoseok, but he remained at her side quietly as she approached Yoongi. She’d never seen her friend so battered and broken. What was worse, her color was almost ashen and there were obvious signs of abuse littered over her frame. The peaceful look on Eden’s face, however, almost fooled Raelyn into believing she’d left the world in no pain. And she knew her friend was gone. 

No one had to tell her that.

“Eden,” she murmured, her hands reaching out to touch her. 

She nearly flinched back from how cold she was, tears immediately falling as she recalled her friend’s happiness and teasing face when she reached out to rub her belly. Eden told her that she needed to take some time off from work, but Raelyn was stubborn and insisted that she’d be administering care for her patients until the baby decided it was time for them to pop into the world.

Raelyn never wished to be anywhere _but_ at work more than she did now.

The doors slid open again and Raelyn felt her hand move to cover her mouth as Namjoon and Seokjin walked in, carrying Jimin and Jungkook in their arms. Blood covered their bodies, their wounds easy to discern even with her naked eye. They stood on either side of Yoongi and she felt Hoseok’s arms resting on her shoulders, steadying her in case she felt she couldn’t stand up again.

“Miss D’Angelo, wait!” 

A voice shouted from outside and, as if on instinct, the boys stood away from the door as a very pregnant Anastasia hobbled into the hospital lobby. Her eyes locked with Raelyn’s and she seemed to be catching her breath. Someone must have told her to come to the hospital and there was a selfish side of Raelyn that wished they hadn’t. She didn’t need to see them. Not like this.

“Raelyn Unnie,” she cried, crossing over to her and clasping her hands, “I came as soon as I heard. It’s not true, is it? Tell me it’s not true!”

Raelyn bit her lower lip, averting her gaze away from her friend. She glanced over her shoulder as it seemed that Anastasia hadn’t noticed them yet. When she didn’t answer her, Ana realized something was amiss and turned her head slowly to look in the direction that Raelyn was facing. 

“Eden,” she heard her whisper.

Anastasia seemed to assess the situation for what it was. She let Raelyn’s hands go, took three full steps toward Yoongi, before her body started to tilt at a dangerous angle. Raelyn moved but Hoseok was faster, catching Anastasia by her arms to prevent her from falling to the floor. There was a sudden sound of liquid hitting the ground and Raelyn blinked as she realized Anastasia’s water broke.

The shocking truth primed her friend for labor.

“I need a gurney over here!”

A few of Raelyn’s co-workers were watching the situation as it unfolded, an orderly rushing down the hall to retrieve the requested gurney. Hoseok took Jungkook from Seokjin’s arms as both he and Raelyn helped Anastasia onto the gurney. They wasted no time wheeling her off to the delivery area after she explained what was happening. 

“Raelyn-ssi,” called Jongmin, her male nurse colleague, “is everything alright?”

She shook her head, wiping the tears from her face as she pointed to the others. “They need to be taken to the morgue.”

He looked at them curiously before turning back to her. “Are you--”

“Just do it, Jongmin-ssi, _please_,” she managed to choke out while grasping at his wrist, “I’ll take full responsibility, alright? Just...just get them down there.”

* * *

Namjoon sat on a bench outside in the back gardens of the hospital. A cigarette was perched between his lips, but he hadn’t lit the end yet. His thumb slid the top open to the Zippo, closing it with a loud _clink_ before opening it again. People walked by him but he barely paid attention to any of them. His mind was so far from his body that he may as well have been able to see what he looked like from a vantage point across the way.

He felt empty inside.

His eyes were puffy and swollen from crying. The weight of Jimin’s body still felt heavy in his arms, like he was still carrying him. The blood that covered his arms and hands were washed clean in one of the hospital’s public washrooms. A doctor told them all they needed to get cleaned up while a medical examiner came and did a proper survey over the bodies. 

The urge to cry again sat on the corner of his heart, weighing like an anvil. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He’d kept himself together long enough to drive back to Seoul before losing it. Yoongi was as numb as he’d ever seen him and Seokjin was too far gone to drive back. It was Yoongi who took the keys from him. 

As empty as his soul felt, his mind raced a mile a minute. Namjoon turned over the chessboard in his brain, piecing everything together. His opponent? The Jade Fangs. 

Somewhere along the way, they’d messed up. As men and as gangsters. Despite every contingency they’d come up with, the Jade Fangs were that much more prepared. For every attack and counterattack, the Jade Fangs were able to parry and counterblow them back. Namjoon wasn’t foolish enough to assume that the Jade Fangs would remain quiet, but he wanted to _believe_ that Hoseok’s discussion with Im Changkyun had, in fact, born fruit.

If only they knew what they would be reaping from the seeds they’d sown.

He felt the cigarette suddenly being pulled from his mouth, forcing him to look up. Yoongi was slipping it between his own lips, pilfering the lighter in Namjoon’s hand to light the end of it. He watched as his older brother took a long drag, flopping into the seat beside him. A cloud of smoke billowed from both his nostrils and mouth upon his exhale.

“The others?”

“Hoseok-ah is waiting on the medical examiner,” he said, cigarette clenched between his teeth, “Jin Hyung is with Ana-ssi.”

“Has she given birth?”

“She’s still in labor.”

“Ah.”

Silence quickly filled the gaps between them. Normally they were close, but it felt like Namjoon was on a different plane of existence from the rest of his brothers. Yoongi must have felt the same. 

“No word from Taehyung-ah?”

Namjoon shook his head. “His phone keeps going to voicemail.” He took a breath. “...do you think he’s--”

“We have to assume he is.”

“Assume he’s what?”

Both Namjoon and Yoongi looked up to see Raelyn standing off to the side of them. She lowered the phone in her hand at her side, gripping it tightly as she glared at them. Namjoon sighed, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. This was just going from bad to worse.

“Assume he’s _what_, Yoongi-ssi?” she repeated, the anger clear on her face.

“Dead, Raelyn,” said Yoongi as he stood up, “we have to assume Taehyung-ah _is dead_.”

Raelyn used her free hand to aim a slap at Yoongi’s face. Namjoon got to his feet on reflex, but Yoongi caught her by the wrist just inches from his face. Her arm shook with how hard she was trying to break through Yoongi’s defenses, but he held strong and his expression didn’t show any sign of shifting from the blank mask he currently wore.

“There’s a chance that he’s still alive, but we have to assume the worst.”

“Damn you, Min Yoongi,” she half-growled.

Namjoon watched his brother’s eyes narrow and he stood beside them both, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.

“I won’t say you don’t have a right to be angry,” he said softly while pulling her hand down, “but don’t forget that I lost three _brothers_ today.”

Raelyn’s face fell a measure and Yoongi released her hand. 

Namjoon’s brows furrowed. “Hyung…”

“And the only woman I’ve _ever_ loved.”

Yoongi took a long drag from the cigarette, tapped the ash onto the ground, before snuffing it out completely in the sand tray next to the bench. Namjoon watched as his brother turned and headed back into the hospital’s back entrance. Raelyn’s sob broke through his thoughts and he turned to look back at the woman who carried his younger brother’s child in her womb. She buried her face in her hands, crying openly and he reached out to pull her into as comforting of an embrace as he could give her.

Because he was hurting too.

* * *

Anastasia screamed as the doctor urged her to push. Sweat drenched her hospital gown and she gripped onto Seokjin’s hand as if he were the only thing keeping her from life and death. The pain that wracked her body was indescribable and she continued to swear at the man at her side, declaring that this was all his fault. That he had to take responsibility for what he’d done.

The world blurred and cleared every so often, giving clarity to Anastasia’s mind. When she had a moment to breathe before being told to push again, the image of her friend’s dead body came crashing through her thoughts. She cried and screamed not from her labor pains, but from losing Eden in such a horrible way. She lost the ability to speak coherently two hours into labor, her strength seemingly bleeding away from her with every push she gave to bring her child into the world.

Seokjin pushed some of her sweat-soaked bangs from her forehead and she continued to cry, her eyes shifting to look at him. She was thankful that he was there with her. Anastasia knew that it was typically not allowed for fathers to be present during the birth, but Seokjin strictly stated that he would be present no matter what and he dared a doctor to tell him otherwise.

He seemed to understand what was truly bothering her and Anastasia closed her eyes, letting the tears leak out over her cheeks. She felt his lips press against her forehead and, again, she pushed, squeezing his hand harder than she’d ever squeezed it. 

Then she heard it. The wailing cry of life from a newborn baby. Everyone in the delivery room released collective sighs of relief and happiness. Her spine practically dissolved into the bed, her muscles loosening as the nurses cleaned the crying babe. 

“Congratulations,” said the doctor as a nurse handed a swaddled and red-faced infant to Anastasia, “it’s a boy.”

Anastasia held the child in her arms, still crying and giving little coughs of protest to the cold world it was now forced to live in. She brushed his dark hair away as it made faces and sneezed. A sob exploded from Seokjin as he fell to his knees, his hands pressing into her arm and the blanket draped over her waist.

“...thank you, Ana,” he whispered through his tears, “thank you for giving us some hope now.”

* * *

Hoseok was the very definition of the living dead. 

His body moved of its own accord, but his mind was completely vacant. His legs carried him up and down the hall, his fingers curling in and out of fists to pop the joints in his knuckles. Somewhere along the way, his heart settled to a quiet murmur. It was like he’d already died.

This all had to be a nightmare.

Hoseok’s mouth was dry and even though a receptionist gave him water, it went down like sand in his throat. He did everything he could to occupy his mind, tethering him to the hospital. He spent a solid hour calling Taehyung’s phone, not caring that it continuously went straight to voicemail. It was something; the only _ thing _ that was preventing him from seeking Changkyun out and ripping his spine clean from his body.

Another hour passed before the medical examiner arrived. They said nothing to each other as he took the elevator to the morgue. Hoseok remained in the lobby alone. 

He didn’t know how much time passed, but when he next looked out a window, darkness had already blanketed the outside world.

Seokjin was the first one to cross his path, looking just as haggard as he undoubtedly felt. 

“How is she?”

“It got scary a few times,” he said while massaging his hands, “but she’s fine.”

Hoseok tried to smile but he failed, giving up on the gesture altogether. “And the baby?”

Seokjin looked at Hoseok for the first time and saw tears welling in his eyes. “...a son.” He smiled but Hoseok could see the pain behind it. “We have a son.”

“C-Congratulations, Hyung,” he stammered, reaching out to grasp his older brother’s hands, “I’m so glad.”

“Where are the others?” Seokjin asked as he looked around. “Are they still here?”

Hoseok sighed, releasing Seokjin’s hands to rub his own through his dark hair. “I’m not sure.”

“Are the guardians of Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook and Jeon Eden present?”

Both men turned to peer at the doctor who was holding a chart, looking around the lobby. Hoseok’s heart plummeted to his knees. He wasn’t sure if he’d heard it right, but if he had…

_...Eden and Jungkook-ah?_

“We’re here,” said Seokjin, getting the doctor’s attention. 

“Ah, I see,” he said, approaching them, “we’re still waiting on the final autopsy results. It may take a few more hours. Will you be here awhile?”

“Yes.” Hoseok frowned. “We’ll be here as long as it takes.”

* * *

They all gathered in a private room. Yoongi could only stare as the doctor waited for all of them to get situated. When he asked where Raelyn was, Seokjin said that she decided to go check on Anastasia to make sure she was okay after the birth. It was better for them all that they weren’t there. Seeing their friend return in the state she was in was terrible enough. They didn’t need to sit through this discussion.

Hell, _he_ didn’t want to be here for it.

They waited for the doctor to gather his paperwork before watching him take a seat across from them. He looked at each of them, sighed, and then presented a piece of paper to them.

It was Jungkook’s death certificate.

“For your youngest brother, Jeon Jungkook. The time of death is **11:06 AM**. The cause of death would be blood loss due to laceration of the abdominal aorta. There were some superficial scratches, we assume from some kind of flora in the area. But, upon examination, we noted a puncture wound conclusive of a knife blade that perforated the abdominal wall, portion of the liver, and just missed completely severing the whole of the abdominal aorta.”

Yoongi’s whole body shifted in the chair. He felt Seokjin’s hand grab for his own from under the table, keeping him rooted in his spot. The doctor paused, looking at them all for another moment, before placing the next sheet of paper on the table.

It was Jimin’s death certificate.

“For your younger brother, Park Jimin. Time of death is **11:28 AM**. The cause of death was determined to be massive blood loss due to the severing of both the left femoral artery and the abdominal aorta. Mr. Park was found to have several contusions about his temple, bruising consistent with something like a group attack? There were actual footprint sized bruises noted by the examiner, as well as a few broken ribs. These, by themselves, wouldn’t be cause for concern. There was also noted to be crossbow bolt injuries to the shoulder.”

“A crossbow bolt?” Hoseok asked, his voice tight with emotion. Yoongi didn’t even have to look at him to note the anger tinged in the inquiry.

The doctor nodded. “Again, paired with the bruising, it wouldn’t have been as dire had not both the major sources of blood supply been severed.”

They watched him place the last piece of paper on the table next to Jimin’s.

It was Eden’s death certificate.

“For your youngest sister, Jeon Eden...”

The doctor paused, the weight of the silence palpable. It was clear that he wasn’t too keen on speaking about this, but Yoongi knew he was prepared to come across the table if he didn’t start talking soon. Removing his glasses, the doctor took a deep breath to compose himself. 

“As you well know, we had to turn over this information to the police in order to finish our autopsy. The findings were quite severe for Mrs. Jeon. We ordered a STAT toxicology report that we should be receiving back within the next day or so.” 

_Load of fuckin’ good that does,_ Yoongi thought bitterly, _the police are just going through the motions. They won’t give a damn **what** those results turn up._

“To start off with, I’m sure you’re aware that Mrs. Jeon’s injuries, _her very state_, is conducive to someone who was tortured?” 

No one uttered a word. They all just stared transfixed at the doctor, waiting for him to continue.

So he did.

“Mrs. Jeon was in a state of critical dehydration and paired with the blood loss? The cause of death is Hypovolemic Shock. Time of death is **11:32 AM**. Her body was covered in medium depth knife cuts about her legs, arms and torso. There were a multitude of welts and gashes consistent with a whip or flog type tool based on the pattern upon her back.”

Yoongi felt Seokjin’s grip tighten around his hand. The anger that bubbled around his chest threatened to choke him. The chair shook underneath him with how hard he was vibrating.

“It was difficult to get fluid samples, but we did our best. There were also one or two small marks that are consistent with needle punctures. There was no food in her stomach and based on the appearance of her organs, we estimate a loss of about twenty percent of her total body fluid. The way she arrived and the blood loss from just...so many places at once - and the inability to replace those fluids are what we determine to be the cause of her passing.”

The legs of the chair scraped harshly across the floor, causing everyone in the room to jump. Yoongi was up on his feet, yanking his hand from Seokjin’s grasp. When he tried to go for it again, presumably to make him sit down, Yoongi smacked his hand away and glared hotly at his older brother.

No one said anything. Not until he turned to leave the room. He heard them calling after him, but it all fell on deaf ears. Yoongi found himself in the quiet hallway, his legs moving faster until he ran full-speed out through the lobby and into the parking lot. When his feet hit the pavement, he doubled over and dry heaved toward the ground, feeling his intestines twisting inside of him with the storm of emotions barreling through him.

Tears fell to the ground at his feet and Yoongi felt the world lean in a raw tilt. He collapsed to his knees, punching the concrete repeatedly. He didn’t care that he was breaking skin and blood was splattering along the ground. He longed to feel something other than the wave of despair that threatened to swallow him completely.

When he could no longer feel the blows to the ground, he stopped long enough to reach into the inside pocket of his jacket. Fishing around inside, he shakily pulled out the two bloodied rings in his hand. Through his tears, he read the words inscribed on each of them.

On Eden’s ring was engraved the word “Together”. On Jungkook’s, the word “Forever”. 

Curling his hand into a fist, he began pounding at his chest - mouth wide with the onset of something threatening to tumble from his throat. 

The loud clap of thunder overhead drowned out the sound of his screams.


	56. Sea

_"Praying that we’ll remain in this desert till the end.  
Praying that this isn’t truly our reality."_

** _Two Days Later_**_  
Jeju Island – Seogwipo  
South Korea_

****

****

When Taehyung first came to, he felt warmth blanketing his entire body. Every so often, a gentle brush of cool air passed over him. His limbs ached and it felt like a stone was being pressed against his chest. Breathing was a seemingly impossible task. When he could breathe, the sensation of phantom glass fragments scraped along the insides of his lungs. Coughing was a regular occurrence. Through said coughing fit was how he was able to pull himself back to consciousness.

For a moment, he believed he had, in fact, died. There was a part of him that even accepted it. But he wouldn’t have accepted it with a smile, of that he was most certain.

There were people waiting for him; people he would potentially be leaving behind.

The faces of his brothers and of the woman he loved yanked him from the abyss.

An old man sat next to him, moving a fan slowly over his body. Sweat seemed to cover him from head to toe and there was a large basin of ice beside him. Again, Taehyung coughed and tried to sit up. But the old man placed a hand on his shoulder, gently urging him to lie back down on the futon. What energy he managed to muster quickly slithered out of him, the weight of exhaustion overwhelming him all over again.

Had he _actually_ died?

“Don’t make such a fuss,” said the old man.

The stranger’s skin was bronze from being out in the sun, his worn and wrinkled hands and face gave testimony to the life he lived. His hair was a salt and pepper gray, frazzled from being whipped around in the ocean breeze just outside. Despite his seemingly austere appearance and gruff tone, his dark eyes were gentle as he continued to move the fan back and forth over Taehyung’s prone form.

Taehyung squinted slowly, the light peeling in from the window almost blinding him. He tried to lift his arm to shield his eyes, but found it more difficult than he’d anticipated. Sensing his distress, the old man shifted so his small frame could block as much of the light as he could.

“Where am I?”

The question croaked from Taehyung’s throat, surprising him. Attempting to swallow, he mentally reeled at how terrible he sounded.

He heard the man scoff, a sympathetic smirk pulling at his thin lips. “My home,” he replied simply, resting the fan on his knee, “you’ve got the devil’s luck, young man.”

Taehyung tried to smile but realized it probably looked like a grimace. “You don’t know the half of it, _Oroshin_.”

He watched the man’s smile widen a measure. “You’re young, but I see you still have some manners.”

Again, he attempted to sit up and failed. The old man seemed to take pity on him, reaching out with his thin arms to help him. When he was up, Taehyung winced at the tight feeling around his chest. He rubbed at it gingerly as the elder pressed a cold compress to his temple. Willing himself not to shrink back at the sudden cold, his eyes wandered around the abode to serve as a distraction.

He could tell that it was the home of a local fisherman. Quaint, humble and quiet; save for the crashing of waves along what he could only assume was the beach nearby. The salt was prevalent in the air, seeping in through what cracks existed in the house. Even though he could feel the cold wind, the floor was warm beneath him.

“Did you save me?”

Dipping the cloth into the ice water, he wrung it out and pressed it back to Taehyung’s head. “The gods saved you, my boy. You were already washed up on the shore when I stumbled across you.” He watched his eyes shifting to his shoulder and Taehyung reached up to touch the dressings over his injury. “I managed to purge the toxins out of you.”

His eyes narrowed. _So it **was** poison,_ he thought angrily, shifting his gaze to the space between his knees, _Lee Jooheon, you son of a bitch…_

Taehyung lifted his eyes to meet the old man’s. “How long have I been out?”

“Couple of days now. The worst of it passed yesterday.”

Even though he still ached all over, Taehyung quickly shifted to sit on his knees, bowing his head low to the old man. “I’m in your debt, Oroshin.”

“Nonsense. It’s human nature to help those in need.”

Taehyung raised his head. “It’s a cruel world we live in now. Your kindness is rare in it.”

“Your view of the world is too narrow, my boy.” The old man lifted the fan and smacked Taehyung’s wrist with it. “Now enough of this. Sit comfortably.”

He did as he was told, sitting with his legs crossed in a more comfortable position. “Oroshin, I hate to burden you further, but would you mind taking me into town? I need to get back to Seoul as soon as possible.”

For an uncomfortably long moment, the old man peered at Taehyung – as if gauging what his motive was. But there was only one thing on his mind. He needed to get back to his brothers and warn them of the danger that was coming. There would still be time for them to find Eden and return her to the place she belonged.

_…at Jungkook’s side._

Jooheon’s words slammed through his body like a wrecking ball, causing him to visibly shudder. Taehyung couldn’t believe it now that he was lucid. How had Jungkook managed to hide such a huge secret from them all? Then again, they’d all been so busy anticipating the moves of the Jade Fangs that a lot of things could have gone amiss. Something as small as eloping could easily be overlooked.

That didn’t mean he was any less salty about it.

_When I get back, he and I are gonna have a little chat…_

“Well,” cut the old man’s words through his thoughts, “it’s a good thing this washed up with you then.” He reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out Taehyung’s wallet.

He bowed as he took it from him, opening to see the paper money was worthless. So were his cards. But his ID was still intact. That was the only thing that mattered. If he could prove who he was, getting money would be easy. He peered at the old man expectantly who raised his brows at him.

“I’m assuming my phone didn’t make it?” The elder shook his head and Taehyung sighed. Of course it wouldn’t have made it. That would have been the luckiest break he could get outside of being alive. “I’ll just have to buy another one.”

“Eat something and then I’ll take you to town. You can’t function on an empty stomach.”

Taehyung flashed him his best boxy smile despite the agony he continued to feel. “Thank you, Oroshin.”

* * *

After filling his stomach with three full helpings of rice, soup, and freshly caught fish, he thanked the old man profusely for his kindness. When he asked his name, the elder simply smiled and told him to come back when all his business was taken care of. Taehyung promised he would return to repay him for saving his life.

There wasn’t much time to waste. He needed to procure funds to buy a plane ticket back to Seoul. He would worry about a phone once he landed safely. Besides, Taehyung didn’t think he could handle the slew of missed calls and voicemails demanding to know of his whereabouts. He went on blind faith that everything was okay; that his brothers were able to find something out on their end since it was obvious that his own trail was a perfectly placed trap.

The flight back to Seoul was only an hour, but he felt like time crawled at an agonizingly slow pace. The time he had alone on the plane was enough to cause Taehyung to fester in his own guilt. He was angry at himself for falling for such a setup, and he was even angrier that he hadn’t seen it for what it was.

_Maybe Hyungwon was right,_ he thought bitterly, narrowing his eyes as he stared out the window, _we’ve gotten fucking soft._

But he stood by what he said. This wouldn’t have been a problem had they taken the Jade Fangs out five years ago. Sacrifices be damned. At least they could avoid the headache inducing bullshit they were suffering right now.

He replayed the scene on Dragon’s Head Cliff repeatedly. No matter how many times he thought about it, Taehyung’s conclusion was the same every single time.

_…if I hadn’t dodged, whatever came at me would have hit me straight on._ He frowned. _They were really trying to kill me._

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Curling his hands into fists on the arm rests, he closed his eyes – attempting to stave off an oncoming migraine.

They would be dealt with.

They would _all_ be dealt with.

Taehyung wouldn’t rest until he made sure of it.

* * *

_Seoul - Cheongdam; Gangnam District  
South Korea_

As soon as he landed in Seoul, he purchased a phone at one of the stores in the airport, activating it on the spot. There were several voicemails and he rolled his eyes. He didn’t have time to listen to them. Now that Taehyung could confidently say he’d met the Reaper at the Gates of the Underworld and walked away, the only person he wanted to see was the woman carrying his child. He had to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming; still sleeping from the effects of the poison.

Taehyung needed just a little more reassurance that he wasn’t dead. That he wasn’t already in Hell.

Hailing a cab, he gave instructions for the driver to take him to Raelyn’s hospital. The woman was so stubborn, insistent on continuing to work as her belly continued to swell with the life in her. Taehyung told her constantly that she didn’t need to work anymore, especially while she was with child. But she was hellbent on having her way and who was he to deny her the freedom to do as she pleased?

He’d have been a fool to try.

Taehyung quickly paid the cab driver, thanking him for getting him to his destination so quickly. He raced through the parking lot, up the steps and just barely clipped his shoulders in his impatience in waiting for the sliding doors to open wide enough to give him entrance. One of Raelyn’s co-workers that he recognized spotted him, her expression forming into shock before melting to discomfort almost immediately. He skidded to a halt in front of her, blocking her path as she seemed to mentally prepare herself to flee.

“Eunsoo-ssi,” he huffed, attempting to catch his breath, “where’s Raelyn?”

She averted her eyes, shrinking back from him as he took a step toward her. Canting his head slightly, he couldn’t hide the confusion on his face. She’d never treated him like this before. In fact, he remembered her playfully doting on him like she would a younger brother. This sudden standoffishness seemed a little unwarranted.

“She…” Eunsoo paused, taking a breath, before lifting her face to meet his gaze. Her brows were furrowed harshly and he could swear that her eyes looked glassier than they had just a few seconds ago. “She’s at the funeral hall.”

Taehyung frowned. “Why?”

“I’m sorry, I have to finish my rounds.”

Eunsoo quickly bowed, side-stepping him to disappear around the corner to the next hall. His gaze followed her as he was left in the main lobby alone.

_What the hell is going on?_ he thought as he made his way toward the elevators. Pressing the button to give him entrance, he pressed the button that led to the mortuary floor where funeral services were typically held. _Did something happen to one of their co-workers?_

It didn’t take him long to make it to the funeral hall. Various other families were dressed in their traditional mourning attire and rows of wreaths with white carnations lined the walls. White ribbons hung from them, traditional hangul printed on them with the names of the deceased. He barely took notice of them, his eyes frantically searching for any sign of Raelyn.

The weight of sorrow that filled the hall was palpable, making the uncomfortable feeling welling up in his chest almost unbearable. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but Taehyung swore that a dark cloud of dread was hanging over him. He quickly shook his head, attempting to chase the nagging voices from his mind.

This was crazy. He needed to get his head together.

Just as he took another step, he stopped as someone dashed out of one of the rooms. He blinked when he realized the woman dressed in a traditional white mourning garb was Jimin’s older sister. She covered her mouth, smothering a sob, and Taehyung could only blink when she paused just seconds before colliding into him. It seemed to take her a moment to recognize who he was, as it did him for her. Her face was puffy and swollen from all the crying she’d done.

“N-Noona,” Taehyung stammered out, an icy sensation slithering down his spine, “what are you doing here?”

Her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably, her hands reaching out to grasp at the sleeves of his jacket. “Oh, Taehyung-ah,” she choked out, curling her fingers into his arms, “Jimin-ie…he…he…”

Slowly, he craned his neck to peer at the three wreaths lining the walls just outside the room she’d vacated from. He read the names on each of the ribbons draped over the wreaths. Taehyung’s heart froze for half a second before slamming viciously against his chest.

“No way,” he murmured, looking back at Jimin’s sister, “…Noona.”

Instead of answering him, he watched her collapse to her knees – a wailing sound bursting from her. Taehyung heard his very _soul_ shattering as he pivoted on his heels, his legs carrying him into the mourning chamber.

It was crowded, bodies shuffling around as people cried or whispered among themselves. Taehyung didn’t bother removing his shoes as he stepped up onto the small landing. He saw Raelyn out of the corner of his eye. She was the first one to spot him, making her way toward him. But instead of relishing in the comfort of her embrace, the very thing he had so desperately been seeking out since he’d woken up, Taehyung stepped just out of her reach. His eyes focused on the three portraits situated on the table where various foods and flowers were placed.

“Taehyung-ah.” Seokjin called to him, but his voice sounded muffled from the incessant buzzing in his ears. He heard him say his name again and he still couldn’t hear it well.

All he could focus on were the smiling faces of Jungkook, Eden, and Jimin looking back at him from the black frames encasing their visages.

As he took another step, he saw someone move to step in his path – blocking his view of the pictures. When he lifted his eyes, he was now staring into Hoseok’s stern face.

“Where have you been?”

Taehyung continued to stare at Hoseok, blinking slowly as his mind attempted to catch up. He opened his mouth to speak and found he couldn’t find the words.

“We thought you were dead.”

The phrase shook Taehyung; rattling his bones. He visibly flinched, took a breath, then glared up at his older brother.

“Hyung,” he finally managed to say, his voice dropping a full octave, “what is this?” Raising a hand, he pointed to the side of him and gave a wide flourish to the entire scene surrounding them. “What the fuck _is_ this?”

A hand fell on his arm and he felt Raelyn’s swollen belly pressed against his side. She buried her face into the curve of his shoulder, suppressing a sob as she pulled him close. His body felt stiff, like he’d turned into a marble statue. This was all some joke. It had to be. There was _no way_ that any of this was real.

“How?”

“The Jade Fangs were responsible,” cut in Seokjin.

Taehyung’s eyes narrowed. “There’s no way that—”

Yoongi sighed gently. “You told us her location, Taehyung-ah.”

It was like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over his body.

“W-What?” That was impossible. He hadn’t been able to obtain that information. “I didn’t—”

“We realize that now,” added Namjoon. When Taehyung glanced at him, he nearly hiccupped at the dark expression painted over his brother’s face. “They texted us from your phone. It was all a setup from the start.”

Again, silence filled the small space around them save for the members of Jimin’s family who came, as well as friends.

“They’re gone, Taehyung-ah.”

Twisting his face to look back at Hoseok, he noticed his other brothers crowding around him in a semicircle. It wasn’t until his vision went out of focus that Taehyung realized he was now crying.

“What?” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “What do—”

Hoseok’s face softened, his brows furrowing before he closed his eyes. “They’re gone.”

* * *

The sun slowly set over Seoul’s cityscape. Lights blinked with life in succession, illuminating the darkness. Taehyung listlessly stared out over the vast expanse while standing on the hospital’s rooftop, lips puckered out while indulging on a sucker. He didn’t remember running from the mourning chamber. He didn’t remember banging his knee on the steps as he tripped over his own feet upon his ascent.

No one chased after him. They knew better. They knew he would likely implode if they did.

Taehyung didn’t stay for the cremation process. He would have thrown himself into the flames right along with them. Selfish? Of course he was. He was man enough to admit that all he could see was red.

Pulling out his phone, he crushed the candy between his teeth. Scrolling through the numerous voicemails left by Hoseok, he stopped until he saw Jimin’s name. His thumb hovered over his name, trembling, before he pressed down on the screen.

It automatically played the message on speaker mode.

_“Ya, Kim Taehyung,”_ came Jimin’s voice from the receiver.

Taehyung’s brows furrowed, hearing the pained chuckle that followed.

_“…you son of a bitch. How could you just take off for the gates of the Underworld alone? Huh?”_

His grip tightened on the phone, feeling his arm shaking from the force of his hold. There was an uncomfortable stretch of silence before he heard Jimin speak again.

_“Don’t even think about stirring up a bunch of shit without me. Jungkook and I will be there soon.”_

Without any warning, Taehyung fell to his knees. The phone fell with a clatter beside him as his hands gripped onto the roof’s railing. His whole body shook, his silent sobs rattling through him. The tears that streamed from his face were hot and thick. He swore he could feel his own blood leaking from his eyes.

Jungkook. 

Jimin.

Eden.

They were gone. 

Mercilessly ripped away from the life they more than deserved to live.

Someone had to answer for this. 

Someone was _going_ to answer for this.

“I’ll make them pay,” he growled, glaring at the landscape as he ground his teeth together, “I swear to _your God_, Jimin-ah…”

_I’ll fucking kill them all._


	57. Does It Make Sense?

_"Talk is not over, it doesn’t make sense still.  
Problem is not over, it doesn’t make sense..."_  


_Hwaseong – Gyeonggi District  
South Korea_

There was a hole in the household now.

A hole so large that there wasn’t a chance for it to be filled.

Half the world was taken from them and they were still reeling from it all.

The only thing that kept Seokjin from spiraling out of control was the sight of Anastasia holding their child. He pulled her close as she slept, doing his best not to disturb her rest. He watched as their son, Gidae, cooed and pulled a fussy face before falling back asleep. Reaching out with his hand, Seokjin lightly pressed his finger against his small nose. Gidae giggled, coughed, then reached out blindly to grab Seokjin’s finger, squeezing it.

Misty-eyed, he laid there for a moment longer to admire the two beings who mattered so much to him. After a few more selfish moments, Seokjin pulled himself away from the bed and quietly closed the door. He quickly made his way downstairs where his parents were waiting. His mother pulled him into an embrace almost immediately.

“Thank you, Eomma,” he whispered, and he felt his mother squeeze him a little harder, “I appreciate you looking after them.”

His mother pulled away from him a measure, looking into his gaze. “Of course, Seokjin-ah. She’s the mother of our grandchild.”

He felt his father clap a hand on his shoulder. “Are you planning on marrying her?”

Seokjin grinned. “I will once I finish up some business.” His mother brushed his bangs off his forehead and he gave her a kiss to her cheek. “I promise.”

He glanced toward the stairwell and smiled gently. _You’ll be safe here with Hope, Ana…_

After reassuring his family that everything was fine, he quickly vacated the house where Hoseok was waiting for him. He bowed respectfully to his parents and Seokjin waved, the two of them making their way down the street. With the promise that he would make more time to come visit them, Hoseok led them from Seokjin’s childhood home.

There was a heavy silence that sat between them. Neither of them wanted to admit it out loud. Seokjin also knew there was something dark growing around Hoseok. It was an aura he hadn’t felt from him in several years. If he was a lesser man, Seokjin would have spoken of his fear out loud. But growing up around all his childhood friends, his _brothers_, reminded him of how far they’d all come.

Coming back to Hwaseong only reinforced the feeling.

“Hyung,” called Hoseok, interrupting the quiet that surrounded them.

He paused, not realizing that he’d continued walking ahead of him. Pausing, Seokjin turned to look back as Hoseok’s eyes remained cast toward the ground.

“What is it, Hoseok-ah?”

“I’m angry.”

Seokjin pursed his lips together, keeping his silence. He knew there was more his younger brother wanted to express. Two words hardly seemed enough.

“I can’t stop thinking about what Jungkook said.” Hoseok’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “It keeps playing like a record in my head. Over and over again.”

“Hoseok-ah…”

“If we had just pushed through…if we had just wiped out Changkyun and the others back then—”

“What good does thinking that do now?”

Both Seokjin and Hoseok turned, looking down the long stretch of road where more houses were. They saw Taehyung coming up the street, hands stuffed in his pockets with a limb of barley hanging from his lips. His sneakers, ripped jeans, and oversized sweater gave Seokjin pause. It was like he was seeing the younger version of Taehyung again – rebellious. He often had a smile on his face, deterring others from his internal thoughts. It was his distraction method.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Taehyung was a powder keg ready to explode.

He stopped a few feet away from them, spitting the barley stem from his mouth. Seokjin could feel the canyon growing between them and he tried to put on a brave face. He didn’t think he had the mental fortitude to handle whatever look was painted over Hoseok’s face at that moment.

Instead, Seokjin did what he could to bridge said gap.

“How is Raelyn-ssi?”

Taehyung grinned, shrugging one shoulder. “She gets along with my sister, so that’s a plus. My parents are a little standoffish for now, but that’s to be expected.”

Seokjin nodded. All of them agreed that the best course of action was to bring the girls out of Seoul. Having them return with them to their hometown was settled between everyone. They would be safer there. While their families weren’t a hundred percent sure what their business ventures entailed for the last ten years, they were smart enough to pick up the context clues that were left behind. People could hardly call their families traditionalist, which made placing the girls into their childhood homes easy.

The three of them began walking, Taehyung keeping a solid two feet away from them as they moved through the streets. Several familiar faces passed them and they greeted them accordingly. Seokjin almost forgot how peaceful it was. There was a heavy wave of nostalgia that washed over him. The same seemed prevalent in his brothers.

They left the small market, bee-lining for the Han River. The air was cold; crisp. It resembled the same setting from ten years ago when Namjoon first extended his hand for them to come to Seoul with him. When they all decided to delve into a world of darkness as a collective.

Pushing through the tall reeds, Seokjin tried to keep his thoughts at bay. But they whispered along the back of his mind, taunting him. Declaring that this tragedy they all were facing was the well-rehearsed machination of something completely out of their control.

_Would things have turned out differently if we’d just stayed behind?_

As they broke through the last stretch of reeds, they saw Yoongi standing on the large rock situated by the river. He wore a black band over his right arm, his hand dipping into a small pine box. The three of them paused, not wanting to disturb their brother as he spread pale ashes out across the lake. Seokjin frowned as Hoseok and Taehyung stood on either side of him.

Yoongi was persistent in his need to bury Jungkook and Eden’s remains at Jimin’s family’s home. No one disagreed with him. They didn’t want Jimin to be alone in the afterlife and his family readily agreed to the arrangement. The box contained a small amount of ashes from all three of their urns.

When he finished, he stepped off the rock and walked over to them. Before they could say anything, he threw the pine box on the ground. Seokjin stepped forward just as Yoongi brought his heel down on the box – smashing it underfoot. He continued to do so until all that remained were splinters of its former self. They would be blown across the land when a strong enough breeze came through. They all knew this was Yoongi’s way of smothering down the wealth of rage teeming inside of him.

“Yoongi-ah,” called Seokjin as Yoongi pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, “have you gone to see your family?”

“They know I’m here,” was all he said as he lit the cigarette, taking a slow drag. Smoke exhaled from his nostrils as he brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. “And they know I won’t be staying long.”

He hadn’t meant to sigh, but he did anyway. The heavy silence returned almost immediately, and it was just about all he could stand. This was going to kill them. This _atmosphere_ was going to be the end of them all.

There was a soft rustling noise to their left and they all looked as Namjoon parted through the reeds. He, too, was smoking and Seokjin had to resist the urge to fuss at him for potentially causing a fire. It was apparent that Namjoon had something he needed to say that required their absolute attention.

“Changkyun and the others are all back together in Seoul,” he said quietly, lifting his face to the sky, “we won’t have a lot of time.”

Hoseok sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “It won’t take them long to figure out that we’ve left Seoul.”

“If anything, they’ll be trying to gauge what our next move will be,” said Seokjin while nodding.

Yoongi scoffed, swiveling the cigarette to the side of his mouth. “Not like that’ll be hard.”

He caught Hoseok shifting slightly from out of the corner of his eye. “Yoongi Hyung…”

“We’re going to kill them.”

Taehyung delivered the sentence with an even timbre, slicing through the tension that radiated around them. Craning their necks to look at him, they took note of the placid expression on his face. Only Yoongi appeared unaffected with the finality of the statement.

Seokjin was afraid of this. He’d been afraid _for_this.

“Taehyung-ah…”

“_All_ of them.”

“Don’t be stupid,” snapped Namjoon, giving Seokjin’s racing heart some relief, “they have the cops in their pockets. Killing them won’t be easy.”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes. “_That_ won’t be a problem when they’re _dead_.”

“Taehyung-ah,” said Hoseok quietly, “I understand how you feel. We all do. But this must be executed carefully. We’re not gangsters anymore. We don’t have the leverage we used to.”

“And whose fault is that, _Hyung-nim_?”

The venom was clear in his tone even though Taehyung hadn’t raised his voice.

“Hey.” Namjoon snapped his fingers. “Watch it, Kim Taehyung.”

They watched Taehyung give a casual shrug. “I don’t care how we do it, but they’re _going_ to die.”

“They’re not dumb enough to pull the tiger’s whiskers this time,” said Yoongi flatly, “not after stepping on its tail.”

No one could argue with him in that sense. Poking them like they had in the last year after what they’d done would be a guaranteed death sentence.

He spit the cigarette from his mouth. “Which means they’re waiting on us to make the next move.”

“That,” Hoseok mused, “or they think we’re too broken to fight back.”

“Then let them think that.”

Everyone shifted their gaze to Namjoon. He was planning something and he wouldn’t cut any corners. He made his way over to the large rock, leaning his hip against it.

“Changkyun thinks he’s won, but the game isn’t over.” He frowned. “It’s far from finished.” Namjoon looked at his watch. “I’m waiting on some information to come to me. It should be here before the end of the day. Once I get it, we’ll start preparing.”

“We can’t leave anything to chance.” Seokjin carded a hand through his hair. “Every one of our bases needs to be covered.”

“Leave that to me,” chimed Taehyung, flashing his trademark boxy smile, “I’ll make sure that no one will be implicated.” He paused, his eyes darkening slightly. “Well, no one that _matters_, anyway.”

There were no counterarguments against him. What could they say, really, to dissuade him? He was _The Shadow Claw_ for a reason. Regardless of their disconnect from the criminal Underworld, Taehyung seemed to have maintained a few contacts after they phased themselves out as the Golden Jackals.

It was clear that something was festering inside of him, but no one had the urge to try and get him to release it. Taehyung had his own way of doing things. He always had. This time would be no different. Arguing with him would only slow them down, keeping them even further from their end goal.

The Jade Fangs had to pay for what they’d done to them; to their _family_. It was the duty of those who were still alive to avenge those who were not. They had to make their amends to the dead.

One way or the other.

Namjoon’s phone rang suddenly, pulling everyone from their own inner musings. He answered, nodding and giving his ascent to whoever was on the other line. The call couldn’t have been more than three minutes long, but he hung up swiftly and looked at them as they patiently waited for him to speak.

“One week.”

Seokjin frowned. “Until what?”

“That’s when our window opens up.”

Hoseok’s text chime sounded. He pulled out his phone and peered at the screen for a handful of seconds before putting it back into his pocket. “Changkyun-ah wants to meet.”

Yoongi lofted a brow. “Why?”

“He wants to discuss terms.”

“Terms for what?”

“Yongsan and Gangnam,” Hoseok said as he sighed, “I’m either to hand it over to him or reclaim it.”

A loud bark of laughter erupted from Yoongi, his face clearly showcasing his disbelief with what he’d just heard. “Wow, what a pompous fucking piece of shit…”

Seokjin shook his head. “When does he want to meet? And where?”

“Incheon.” He paused, turning something else over in his head before continuing. “One week.”

Everyone looked at Namjoon as he smirked. “Looks like my intel was right.” He quickly pulled his phone back out, typing out something along the screen. “It’s time to reset the board, my brothers.”

“Fuck that,” clipped Taehyung, “we’re finishing this goddamn game.”

They all remained quiet. Taehyung was right. If they dragged it out any longer, there was a chance they’d get swept up in the darkness again. Or they’d be wiped out altogether.

Either way, Seokjin saw neither as a viable option. There was too much at stake and they’d already lost so much.

It was time to finish this.


	58. Boy Meets Evil

_"But in order to be free from this crime,_   
_it’s impossible to forget and give up."_

** _One Week Later_ **   
_Incheon – Sungui; Nam District_   
_South Korea_

Hoseok and Seokjin stood side by side as they looked at the large, gray building in front of them. They parked their car at the end of the long road, surveying their surroundings. The morning sky was overcast and shrouded the landscape in hues of grays; desaturating everything. Autumn was already upon them and foliage that was once fully in bloom would soon begin singing their songs of lamentation as they died.

It was the season for beginnings to come to an end.

The old factory was worn from years of neglect. Rust spots were speckled over the iron and there were a few spider cracks along large windows on every side. Several other sedans were parked nearby, presumably Jade Fang members. Hoseok cast a critical eye over them, his gaze meeting Seokjin’s. They both nodded, stepping in sync as they approached the large metal double doors.

His hand went out to reach for the handle, pulling it open. The hinges screamed from abuse, crying for attention. The sound wailed through the expanse as the bottom portion of the door scraped along the concrete flooring. Seokjin followed closely as he entered, pulling the door closed behind him. The ambient noise of the city quickly transformed into that of a tomb.

Their footsteps echoed over the wide space. Hoseok took note of the many wooden crates that lined either walls, giving access to a variety of blind spots. The factory had a single floor that was one big open space. High above it, catwalks ran along the rafters all leading from the factory manager’s office: a metal cube suspended at one end of the warehouse. Abandoned shelf scaffolding broke up the empty space. Crates and pallets were strewn around, making decent hiding places.

He frowned when a few of Changkyun’s underlings looked at him suspiciously – each of them armed with bats, pipes, and knives. Sliding his hand into his pocket, he smirked while shaking his head. It was obvious that Changkyun didn’t trust him and that was fine. After the damage he’d caused, Hoseok couldn’t blame him for taking precautions against him.

Even if this _was_ supposed to be a general meeting.

“Jin Hyung,” a voice called to them, causing both men to halt in their steps.

They looked over to the right where another portion of the factory broke off, seeing Wonho reveal himself. He flicked his tongue out over his lip ring, grinning like a man who’d just won a high stakes poker game. Hoseok slowly blinked as Seokjin situated himself to his right.

Wonho stopped just a few feet short from them. “I didn’t expect you to be here. I figured it would be Namjoon-ah like usual.”

Seokjin shrugged. “Yeah well, we’ve decided not to be so predictable.”

They watched him peer around them, as though he was expecting more people. “The others?”

“None of your business. Besides, he asked to meet me, did he not?”

Hoseok flicked some of his hair out of his eyes, watching the smirk on Wonho’s face grow a little more. There was a small flame of anger that continued to burn in his chest. But he didn’t say anything. He waited for Wonho to look at him, bowing his head in respect, before giving a gentle sigh.

“Where’s Changkyun-ah?”

Without breaking their gaze, Wonho raised his hand up and pointed toward the large metal stairwell that led to the manager’s office. Hoseok started to make his way to the stairwell, but stopped when Wonho side-stepped into his path. He cut his eyes at him, his brows knitting tightly. He was in no mood to play any sort of games right now. This was about business.

“Sorry Hoseok-ah,” he said, holding his hands up in a mock show of surrender, “gotta search you. Boss’s orders.”

Hoseok looked around at the armed men in the warehouse before meeting Wonho’s gaze. “…are you fuckin’ serious?”

Seokjin took a step forward but Hoseok held an arm out to stop him. He rolled his eyes, lifting his other arm so that Wonho could frisk him. No one moved, however, and this irritated him.

“Whatever. Let’s get this over with, huh? I don’t have all day.”

“Yes, yes,” he said, moving toward him.

It didn’t take long for Wonho to search him. The clothing he wore was loose-fitting around his torso while his pants were a slim fit. It made movement easier for him, but would have been obvious had he concealed anything on his person. After the search was finished, he stepped to the side to let Hoseok through. He heard Seokjin move only to take note of the sound of him being stopped. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Wonho was now impeding his brother’s path.

“Wonho-yah,” came Seokjin’s even tone, “move.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Jin Hyung. Hoseok-ah has to go on alone.” He grinned. “You can keep me company instead.”

“It’s okay, Jin Hyung,” reassured Hoseok, “I can handle it from here.”

Seokjin didn’t seem satisfied with this, but he shook his head. He knew there was no stopping Hoseok now that he was set to take care of things once and for all. This would be the last time they would have this altercation with their former brothers of the underworld. Timing was crucial.

Hoseok ascended the stairwell slowly, the iron steps rattling under him as he moved. Both hands were in his pockets as he walked, his eyes continuing to look at all the various angles of the factory warehouse. If he knew Changkyun as well as he thought he did, then his other upper-tiered members were scattered around outside. They would be on the lookout for anyone to try and shake things up.

But he already had an ace up his sleeve for that.

At the top of the stairs, the door to the office stood. To the left, a grated walkway led out over the floor, spreading into catwalks that sprawled the entire place. There was a small square window on the door smudged with dirt. He knocked loudly, the sound reverberating off the walls and bouncing back to hit his body in small tremors. When the door opened, it was Shownu standing in the doorway. They stood silently, almost gauging the other, before he shifted off to the side to allow him entrance. Once inside, Shownu exited the manager’s office and closed the door behind him.

Hoseok saw Changkyun nursing a cup of coffee from an electric kettle. The only furniture in the room were two heavy wooden tables. The rest of the office was bare; a thin slit of a window overlooking the warehouse floor. He watched him turn, smiling as he sipped from the mug. Changkyun held out the cup to Hoseok.

“Did you want me to make you a cup?”

“Are you repurposing this place?”

Changkyun snapped his fingers and pointed at him, a look of satisfaction clearly painted over his face. “Wow, you don’t miss a _thing_, do you Hyung?”

He shrugged, gesturing to the electric kettle with a simple tilt of his head.

“The market value for this place was decent. People need jobs and I just got my hands on a permit to start turning this into a mass shipping facility.”

“How long have you been working on this?”

He watched him hum, as if he really needed a moment to pause and think. “A few months now.”

“I see.”

“There’s money to be made, so why not make it?” He walked back over to the kettle where another mug sat on the table. “Did you want coffee or no?”

Sighing, Hoseok pulled the sleeve of his jacket back to look at his watch. “I thought we were here to talk business?”

“Always so serious,” he said, smiling, “you can relax. I won’t bite.”

“You killed my brothers and my sister-in-law,” came Hoseok’s slow response, “what the fuck did you expect?”

Changkyun clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth while shaking his head. “Oh, come on now. I already told you that this wasn’t personal.”

“You _made it personal_.”

“Wrong!” His voice boomed out over the small space. “I made a point.”

Hoseok scoffed. “Is that what you call it? A point?”

“Yes, I do.” He set the cup down on the table. “I warned you, Hyung, about how weak your defenses were when you left your power behind. The people around you were at risk the minute you decided to step into the light. Money and power talk and while money has done you some good, your lack of power exposed your neck to me.”

There was a pregnant pause that stretched between them. He wasn’t sure if Changkyun was waiting for him to respond to his statements, but there was nothing for him to say. Not yet. He wanted to hear everything his former brother had to unleash on him before he came out with a rebuttal of his own.

Changkyun moved away from the table, crossing the room to stand opposite of him. His back was now to the office window while Hoseok’s remained facing the door. They stared each other down; both attempting to read the other.

If looks could kill…

“Your business was with us, the Golden Jackals. You didn’t have to drag Eden into it. She had _nothing_ to do with this.”

Changkyun waggled his finger at him. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

“How?”

“Attacking _just you_ would have seemed personal. That’s not my endgame. Eden was an unfortunate casualty, but she was also a necessary piece that you needed to lose in this game.”

A flash of burning outrage slashed across Hoseok’s chest. For him to refer to his sister-in-law as a mere “casualty” was about as much as he could stand. But instead of launching himself across the room to lay into him, he curled his hands into fists at his sides. He couldn’t let him get under his skin so soon. They’d only just started talking.

He took a breath, a seemingly vain attempt to dampen his anger.

“So,” Hoseok breathed, “you still think this is some kind of game, huh?”

“I do.” He grinned. “And I’ve won.”

Snorting, Hoseok folded his arms across his chest. “The game isn’t over, Changkyun-ah. I still haven’t given you the keys to my kingdom.”

He watched Changkyun’s mouth form into a small ‘O’ before it spread into an arrogant smirk. “And are you?”

“They’re not mine to give.”

“I beg to differ.” Changkyun took another step closer. “You held Yongsan and Gangnam in your hands for years. You controlled those territories in a way that the other district bosses can’t ignore. It won’t be as easy as a simple gang scuffle to settle things.”

Hoseok frowned. “And why not?”

“Because you made it that way.”

He couldn’t stop the incredulous laugh that slipped out of him. “So what? This is _my_ responsibility?”

“It never stopped being your responsibility.” He closed the distance even further, reaching a hand to grasp at Hoseok’s shoulder. “Don’t you see that?”

For a while, all Hoseok could do was look back at him. This was the man he once considered a good friend; a brother. They had so many ideas for the future. Ideas to make things better. Back when everything made sense because life was simpler. Hoseok believed he could talk Changkyun into turning over a new leaf with him – of paving a road with clean hands and leaving the dirtiness of the underworld behind them. He thought that Changkyun was better suited for a life that didn’t involve crime, betrayal, and cruelty.

The hope for that began to dwindle the day Hoseok saw him murder the former Jade Fangs leader in cold blood.

It completely vanished when he cremated his family’s bodies.

“It’s still not too late, Hyung,” urged Changkyun gently, “you can still join me. Reclaim your territories and come back home. I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have.”

Hoseok sighed, closing his eyes and hanging his head slightly. “Changkyun-ah.” He lifted his head, eyelids fluttering as he opened them to meet the other man’s gaze. “I’m glad we had this talk. You’ve confirmed a few things for me.”

Changkyun canted his head slightly, his calm and welcoming expression melting into slight confusion. “What things?”

“That you haven’t changed. That you never _will_ change.” Hoseok smiled pityingly at him. “You’re incapable of it.”

He felt his hand sliding off his shoulder, dropping limply at his side as he frowned. He didn’t say anything, so Hoseok continued.

“You’ve always been so sneaky. Planning everything so that you are always five steps ahead of the person you’re trying to overtake. You’re good at playing the long game and that’s why you always think you’ve won. That you’ll never be beaten.”

“I have yet to be proven wrong.”

“I’m a thinker too. But there are better thinkers at my side. People who retraced months of your steps in the process of doing their research. People who are better at getting into your head than I am.” Hoseok gave a wide gesture to the empty office space around them. “People who knew about your plans for this warehouse days before my arrival.”

For the first time since their conversation began, Changkyun looked perturbed. Hoseok wasn’t in the business of pouring salt into wounds, but he was done playing nice. He was done giving warnings.

He was finishing this today.

Lowering his gaze, he looked at his watch one more time. His smile grew a little bit wider as he locked his eyes with Changkyun’s – relishing in the realization that slowly overtook his face.

“And those same people found out that you had the gas and electric rewired for the building before having it turned on.”

And then the world shook violently beneath their feet from the explosion downstairs.


	59. Killer

_"I’m not Buddha but I’m a butcher.  
I’ll cut away your skin like a..."_

Namjoon slowly slid the black cotton mask from his mouth and nose, waiting in the shadows of an alcove outside of the building. The small group of men he had with him, former Golden Jackals, huddled in the darkness. They were able to overtake the side entrance hours ago, before the crack of dawn. He made sure that no one of merit within the Jade Fangs would approach the designated area. Even if they did, Namjoon would have made it a point to subdue them completely. He would leave their bodies for the crows out in the muddy fields if he had his way.

But no, this was the moment where they would turn the tides. This was the beginning of the end.

_We finish this today…_

Lifting a cigarette to his lips, the orange glow of the flame licked at the end of the stick as a light crackling sound emitted itself from the contact. A few hushed conversations were going on beside him, to which he vaguely tuned in. They were out to prove themselves to the fallen brothers and sisters still imprisoned in the world they were forced to live in when adventuring into the light. But it was a life they deserved; a life they fought so hard for. Whether they lived or died after today, it would all be relevant to their future.

Pulling out his watch, Namjoon immediately flipped open the latch that covered the face. He was old-fashioned, so to speak, and a bit of a sentimentalist. Jimin teased him once about still carrying a pocket watch in this day and age, but how could he let it go?

It was a graduation gift Jungkook bought for him just before he moved to attend University in Seoul.

Time seemingly crawled; all of them were prepared to launch their first assault against the Jade Fangs. Namjoon already planned to be the first to cause the strike. He would need to ensure that the blast counted for something, otherwise it was all just going to get mucked up in the end. He would not have any screw-ups. Not while he was in charge of the first wave. Their offense was cut in half with Jungkook and Jimin pulled from the equation.

Pulling his ball cap down further on his head, he slipped the watch back into his pocket. Namjoon took one final drag of his cigarette, the smoke cloud billowing in his face and partially clouding his vision. However, in the shadows it seemed as if he were a dragon on the verge of breathing out a tremendous vortex of flame. One of the men approached him, nodding quickly. Namjoon grinned, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The gas line had successfully been cut.

“It’s time,” he said, his voice deep and commanding.

In sync, all of them slipped their masks over their faces. The cigarette fell to his feet and sparked with the faint light of its embers before finally dying out altogether. They could hear the approaching footsteps growing in time and Namjoon pulled out his hunting knives. As soon as they were in the right position, he disappeared and then reappeared at the front of the room which was in full view of the four different ways that many of the others could enter what was now to be viewed as their battlefield.

Now he had to wait for the show to truly begin.

* * *

Yoongi and his team were situated near the back of the factory, hiding in the thick brushes and reeds that were in desperate need of attention and care. Changkyun felt it wasn’t time to tidy up the landscape and that allowed for the perfect amount of camouflage. Namjoon already texted him earlier, telling him that he was in position with his team. Taehyung and his group were hidden within the factory, away from prying eyes. Once all the pieces were lined up, it would be his job to tip the first domino.

He couldn’t fucking wait.

Yoongi felt a dark smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. To think they’d spent the better part of three days planning this out. It almost seemed far fetched and he would never have gone along with something like this. Not until Namjoon convinced him just how solid this counterattack would be. Because they were using Changkyun’s ego against him. He may have broken them by taking their brothers from them and left them feeling demoralized from how thoroughly they’d been ruined. But what Changkyun failed to see was the very thing Hoseok kept hidden away from the Jade Fangs all these years. The thing that he made sure they _all_ kept hidden from them.

Their very own malicious nature.

He felt a buzzing in his pocket and he pulled out his phone, eyeballing the screen. It was time for him to make his move. Slipping out from his hiding spot, he made a point to make as much noise as possible. He wanted to be found. He wanted his path impeded.

His men would remain hidden.

The shuffling of feet reached Yoongi and he was soon surrounded in a semi-circle by Jade Fang lackeys. Pushing his way through the small throng was Kihyun, a curious expression painted over his features. Yoongi pulled out a cigarette and lit the end, slipping the lighter into his pocket. He watched Kihyun place himself in front of him, his back to the window of the factory.

“You should really quit while you’re ahead, Yoongi-ah,” said Kihyun, a baseball bat draped over his shoulder, “those things’ll kill you.”

“My smoking habits should be the least of your concerns,” he replied, cigarette poking out from between his lips.

Kihyun laughed, shaking his dark chestnut bangs out of his eyes. “I thought the meeting agreement was for Hoseok to come. Why are you here?”

Yoongi scoffed. “Did you really think, after everything you guys have done, that we’d trust Hoseok to come here alone with just one of us?”

“And let me guess…” He watched Kihyun as he took a step forward. “…you’re watching the back in case we try to do something underhanded?”

“Nope.”

He tried not to relish in the frown that Kihyun gave him. The heavy thudding of his heartbeat only elevated the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Every square inch of him felt as cold as ice. But he could feel the fire pouring from his eyes.

Yoongi looked at Kihyun, his eyes shifting ever so slightly to the left. He saw the window slowly opening – silent. He would thank Taehyung later for oiling all the windows and doors on every side of the warehouse except for the front.

He pulled the cigarette from his lips, blowing smoke at Kihyun. Flashing his gummy smile, his eyes narrowed as he tilted his head back slightly.

“I’m in the back so I can blow it up.”

And with a quick flick of his wrist, Yoongi threw the cigarette through the open window.

The explosion that soon followed knocked them all back.

* * *

Taehyung’s back hurt.

He’d been perched in the rafters for hours – having arrived at the factory long before anyone else appeared. There was an almost methodical madness to how carefully he oiled all the door hinges and window panes that didn’t come from the front of the warehouse. He was wired from both adrenaline and caffeine, knowing full well that today would be the day that everything would end. He knew his brothers were on edge, both from the planning and from the unpredictable nature that he exuded constantly.

But he had to be. Taehyung knew that if _they knew_ what truly ticked around in his mind, they would do everything in their power to keep him from coming along. They would have left him behind.

And he’d be damned if that happened.

There was a single skylight in the factory situated dead in the center of the roof. Taehyung’s team already made short work of the lackeys that tried to come to the roof earlier that morning. No upper tiered members of the Jade Fangs were on rooftop duty. Taehyung already made a mental note of where everyone else was.

Hyungwon and Jooheon were patrolling the left side of the building; the side where Namjoon and his team were. One of Taehyung’s team was already deep inside of the factory, following the blueprint that Namjoon gave him, taking him straight to where the main gas line was. Once he finished cutting the line, he was to head to the boiler room.

Kihyun and Minhyuk supervised the back side of the factory, in case they were flanked. Yoongi was there with his group. He was the “gunshot” that would start the race. He was the only one who would be able to catch them off guard. Besides, he knew that Yoongi was also a bit of a pyromaniac and wouldn’t have been satisfied if he wasn’t the one to set off the explosion.

Which left Shownu, Wonho and Changkyun on the inside. Hoseok and Seokjin were sent in not as bait, but as a distraction. Then it would be time to bring the entire building down on top of their heads. Blood would be spilt. Lives would be lost.

Taehyung would eviscerate them all.

The building shook violently, causing Taehyung to grip onto the metal rafters. He leaned forward; one knee pressed into the beam beneath him. Shouts of confusion were heard from below him and he flashed a manic grin where no one could have the pleasure to see. Screams of pain resounded as glass shattered from below, his eyes searching for Seokjin. He was already making his way around a set of crates, having swiftly dispatched several Jade Fang members during all the chaos.

More glass broke and metal doors were slammed wide open. Dozens of Golden Jackal members flooded the factory, tangling themselves in a fight. The glass covering from the skylight also shattered, raining down into the factory. Several ropes dropped from the ceiling and Taehyung stood to his full height as his team descended from the open hatch. Some dropped to the ground while others swung from their ropes, landing on top of unsuspecting lackeys. Blood spewed as knives plunged into bodies from both sides.

Taehyung ran, jumping out as far as he could and stretching his arms out. He grasped onto a rope, swinging around until his leather gloved hands allowed him to slide down. He shoved his body around, changing his trajectory in mid-air so he was heading straight for the manager’s office.

His legs extended out as he watched Shownu scrambling to his feet. Taehyung crashed his heels directly into Shownu’s chest, knocking him back. As he straddled the older man’s hips, he quickly unsheathed the large hunting knife from his back – aiming it straight for Shownu’s chest.

He grunted when Shownu used his arms to block the blow – their forearms crashing into one another. Taehyung’s arms shook violently as he tried to force them down, watching the blade getting closer and closer to Shownu’s throat. He could feel the capillaries in his eyes exploding, his vision blurring momentarily, before a scream erupted from his lungs.

Releasing one hand from the hilt of the knife, Taehyung punched furiously at Shownu’s rib cage. The older man attempted a counterattack, using his knee to slam into Taehyung’s back. The force of the blow caused him to fall forward and he felt Shownu’s fingers closing in around his throat. Taehyung continued to punch him even as he felt the air being choked from him.

He punched him one more time, using his fingers to dig into Shownu’s side. He buried them, like he was digging through mud for shells. He twisted his fingers and pulled, tearing through the fabric of the other man’s shirt.

Turning his head and leaning forward, Taehyung snapped his teeth into Shownu’s knuckles. He bit through the skin, blood spraying into his mouth. The older man screamed but he could barely hear it over the noise of battle being waged all around them. He pulled his hand from Shownu’s side, gripped his other hand, and put all his weight down.

The blade slowly buried itself into Shownu’s chest.

* * *

Hoseok’s knee crashed into the ground as Changkyun struggled to maintain his own footing. The two men glared at each other just as the noises from outside became more and more prevalent. Hoseok smirked as he saw Changkyun race to the window, peering out to the factory floor below. He managed to get back onto his feet just as the Jade Fang’s leader turned to glance over his shoulder at him. Hoseok took pleasure in seeing the snarl forming on the man’s face.

“_You,_” he snapped, turning around to face him again.

Hoseok dusted off the backs of his pants, his arms going up into a defensive stance as his hands curled into fists. “Yes. _Me_.”

Changkyun quickly raced to the other side of the room, his hand sliding under the table. Hoseok narrowed his eyes when he next turned around, a knife held in his hand. He scoffed. Maybe he would have been surprised if Taehyung hadn’t already told him what was hidden there.

“So, you expected me to come unarmed, but then have a knife hidden away?” Hoseok shook his head. “I’m so fuckin’ disappointed in you right now.”

“Shut-up!”

Changkyun ran at him, his arm striking out to slash at Hoseok’s neck. But he was faster because he was thinking clearly. He wasn’t about to let anyone stop him from accomplishing what he wanted to do on this day.

He dodged, side-stepping Changkyun at the last second. Reaching up to his lips, Hoseok pulled out the small razor he had hidden in his mouth. Ducking the next blow, he slung his arm upward and slashed over where Changkyun’s right eye was. A stream of blood sprayed and Changkyun moved to cover one hand over his eye as a trail of crimson leaked from beneath his palm.

Dropping the razor, he closed the distance between them as Changkyun attempted another assault. But with his depth-perception thrown off, he swung blindly. Hoseok slammed his elbow into his chest, aiming a backfist to his throat, and used his other hand to quickly disarm him. Before the knife could fall to the floor, Hoseok was already snatching it out of the air.

Spinning around on his back heel, he roughly slammed his back into Changkyun’s chest – forcing his body to bang against the door. Hoseok pulled his arms forward, then swung them back. A sickening _squelch_ noise followed as he plunged the knife directly into Changkyun’s gut. He felt the younger man struggling against him, but he put all his weight backward – his shoulder blades pressing into his chest so that Changkyun wouldn’t be able to wriggle himself free.

“H-Hyung,” he heard Changkyun choke out, his hand reaching out to grasp onto Hoseok’s shoulder, “don’t do this. We…we can help each other…”

Taking a step back, Hoseok buried the knife further into Changkyun’s stomach – watching the blood forming a small puddle by his feet.

“…you can fucking _die_ is what you can do.”

* * *

Seokjin swore under his breath, eyeballing the small cut on his leg. He hadn’t meant to get caught off guard, but there was so much happening around him. Things got less hairy when Namjoon’s team managed to make it inside. Even in the middle of all the craziness, Seokjin was glad they weren’t having to deal with guns. This would have ended bloodier than it needed to.

His eyes darted in every direction and he barked orders when he needed to as Taehyung’s team swept down from the ceiling. Namjoon was in the thick of it with his people and some of Yoongi’s squad managed to make it inside. There was a hint of worry when he hadn’t been able to locate Yoongi, but he knew he had to trust his brothers to be able to take care of themselves.

If he couldn’t at least do that, then what good was their bond?

The door to the manager’s office flew open, the loud bang rattling throughout all the noise of the fighting. Seokjin’s eyes followed the sound and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hoseok stumbling out of the door. He nearly tripped on something, seeing Taehyung catching Hoseok at the last second before he could fall. The two of them exchanged words before Taehyung jumped from the catwalk, his arms grabbing for the ropes so he could swing down to the main floor to join the fight. From what Seokjin could tell, Hoseok hadn’t sustained any injuries.

There was movement in Hoseok’s blind spot. Seokjin wasn’t sure if it was one of their people or a Jade Fang member. Not until the very last second.

“HOSEOK-AH!”

Their eyes locked momentarily, but there wasn’t any time. Running from his hiding spot, Seokjin scooped up a discarded knife. He slid to the center of the bottom floor and flung his arm out and upward. Hoseok jumped out of the way just as the knife buried itself in Changkyun’s throat. They watched the Jade Fang’s leader fall backward, presuming that he would not be getting up a second time.

A grateful smile passed over Hoseok’s lips, but soon snapped to surprise as he looked back at Seokjin.

“HYUNG!”

Suddenly, Seokjin felt his body flung to the side. His head hit the ground and the rest of him followed suit. The pain erupted seconds afterwards, his hand reaching up to grasp at the area where his nerves were screaming at him. Fingers caressed something cold and slender. When he pulled, his pain receptors went off like alarms and he screamed, looking around at who was responsible for the assault. As he craned his neck around to see, he spied the rod-like object poking out from his side. Something dribbled from his mouth and he didn’t have to guess to know that it was his own blood.

When he searched around in desperation, his eyes locked with Minhyuk who was holding a crossbow – watching him already reloading the next bolt.

Bodies moved around him in a blur – all of them screaming and fighting for their own lives. They were distracted. None of them realized what was happening.

No one except Hoseok.

Seokjin grinned, crawling to his knees. He could hear Hoseok’s feet thudding along the metal stairs, but he knew he wouldn’t make it in time. He was ready to face this head on. However, what he hadn’t expected was Minhyuk to shift his aim.

To Hoseok.

Eyes wide, Seokjin quickly scrambled to his feet and lunged forward in Hoseok’s direction. He knew his brother wasn’t paying attention to what was going on around him. He was too focused on getting to Seokjin. But by doing so, he was putting himself in danger.

Seokjin knew he had to block his path.

It was like he could sense it. He jumped up and out to the left. Pain blossomed over his back and all feeling from his legs down seemed to disappear. He collapsed into the ground, dirt filling his nostrils, and he cried out in agony as he dug his fingers into the concrete. Soon, he could feel the texture of his own blood mixed with the dirt under his fingernails.

“HYUNG!”

Seokjin couldn’t see, but he knew it was Taehyung’s voice. He blindly reached out, grabbing for what he assumed was Taehyung’s ankle. “H-Hoseok-ah,” he choked out between coughing up blood, “…get him out of here.”

“B-But Hyung—”

“DO IT!”

He felt the ankle leaving his grasp and Seokjin prayed that Taehyung would listen to him. Hoseok had to get out of there. They all had to go. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that he was going to make it. Not now; not when he was coughing up blood. Something was internally damaged. He was most likely hemorrhaging already.

Curling onto his side, he grasped at the bolt protruding from him and gripped onto it as hard as he could. As he pulled, visions of Anastasia flashed through his mind, giving him pause. For a moment, he forgot about the pain; he forgot about the world around him.

All he could see was the woman he loved standing in the far corner of the factory as she held their beautiful son. He stretched his arm out, reaching for them as if he could touch them. Tears leaked from his eyes as he smiled – the world blurring and getting just a little bit darker.

_…I’m sorry, Ana,_ he thought, the weight of his arm starting to get heavier, _…I’m not going to be able to keep this promise…I love you…_ He felt his elbow hit the concrete, followed by his head.

_I’m going to see my brothers now. Forgive me…_

Everything grew quiet around him.


	60. Black Swan

_"Even when the dark and rough waves pass by,  
I won’t ever get swept away again."_

Instinct was on Yoongi’s side. He dodged and dove for the ground, the explosion smashing mercilessly against the wall that was recently decimated. Kihyun and several of his men were knocked back, winded, and struggling to recover from the blast. The explosion ripped the wall to pieces, raining concrete and metal. Yoongi’s men screamed their war cries as they tore through their hiding place, clambering on top of the Jade Fang gangsters lost and overwhelmed from the confusion.

Yoongi would have laughed under different circumstances. As he clambered to his feet, he realized laughing would have been too much of a dishonor for what he was doing. Smoke filled the area where Kihyun just was and after he watched him getting back to his feet, coughing in the smoke, Yoongi vanished and reappeared mere feet from where Kihyun stood. The smoke was a perfect cover – a nice little addition to what he was sure was Namjoon’s doing.

He watched Kihyun blindly swiping – attempting to strike out at Yoongi. He said nothing. There were no jeers to be had. Instead, he gave a swift flick and jab, forcefully pushing Kihyun back into the remains of the wall that was just destroyed. Just as he stumbled back, Yoongi aimed a kick directly into his chest. He flew back into the chaos and Yoongi jumped in after him.

He wouldn’t give him time to recover.

Yoongi kicked the knife from Kihyun’s hand as the man, again, tried to swing out at him. Throwing all his weight forward, he slammed his knee into Kihyun’s stomach. Something cracked from the impact, but he gave no quarter as he spun around to press his other knee directly onto Kihyun’s throat. Fingers clawed and scraped along his jeans, attempting to pry him off. Yoongi’s eyes watered slightly from all the dust and debris hovering around in the air.

“It was you,” he grunted as Kihyun wriggled underneath him, “I _know it was you_ because I know how sick and twisted your fucking head is.”

Kihyun coughed, a strange gurgling noise bubbling from his throat as he tried to speak. “Y-Yoongi-ah…”

He pushed more of his weight down on the other man’s throat, leaning forward so he could glare at him – his shadow casting itself over his body. “You’ve always been the jealous type. You didn’t just hurt Eden to stir me up. You tortured her because you felt justified and you get off on that sort of shit.”

“Yoon…gi…”

“And you killed Jungkook as some messed up form of justice for me. Like it was something I wanted, you sick fuck.”

Pandemonium continued around them from inside. He could hear his brothers yelling, fighting for their lives during the confusion. But Yoongi made sure that they were away from the madness – nestled in a dark corner where no one would be able to see them.

Yoongi wouldn’t give Kihyun the pleasure of screaming in his final moments.

“You killed her. And you killed him. All to get back at me. To make me suffer.” He grinned as he felt Kihyun’s fingers digging harder into his thighs. “News flash: you’ve only given me a reason to completely eradicate my demons now. Starting with you.”

“Y-Yoon…”

“Goodbye, Yoo Kihyun,” he whispered, curling his body forward and fully crushing the other man’s larynx.

Yoongi spun off his body, grabbed the knife nearby and thrust it into Kihyun’s stomach. Their faces were inches apart as he watched the other man’s eyes begin to cloud over – the call of the Reaper reaching out to claim him. As he stood up, he saw the blood leaking out of the corners of Kihyun’s mouth.

He heard Hoseok’s yell and he bolted to the main battlefield, leaving the _Mongoose_’s corpse behind.

* * *

All the others in his team scattered around Namjoon; some toward the front, some further behind him, some on the other side of the room completely. Raising his knife in his right hand, he waited until the first shadow was in sight before throwing out a smoke grenade. It sailed straight to where he knew it was needed, where Yoongi would be able to utilize it for cover. Namjoon watched as it slammed into the wall; an ear-splitting crack of the foundation breaking echoed across the sky, the wall - mangled and destroyed - upturning itself and flying back, slamming immediately into a nameless Jade Fang underling behind it after having ripped completely across the room.

Grinning behind his mask, he signaled with his free hand for the others to begin their barrage just as Taehyung’s team descended from the roof. Bodies slammed into one another and Namjoon sliced his knife across limbs, blood spurting out and staining his clothes. Droplets sprayed in every direction, flecks spattering over his cheeks and nose. Namjoon saw two people tumbling from the rubble – his eyes meeting the cold umber tones of Jooheon and Hyungwon dove out to attack a group from Yoongi’s team.

Jooheon didn’t move. Neither did Namjoon.

And then they both ran toward each other, cutting down anyone that dared to impede their path. Blood sprayed as Namjoon sliced and pierced through flesh. Jooheon bludgeoned others with the bat in his hand, cracking bones and knocking people onto their backs.

Down.

Down.

Down.

They all were falling to some form of assault from either side. Namjoon shoved former colleagues aside roughly, his eyes darting in various directions to make sure that his brothers were still safe. Taehyung was handling things near the manager’s office and he trusted Hoseok to be able to dispatch the Jade Fang’s _Wolf_ quickly.

Jooheon and Namjoon crashed their forearms into one another, pushing their weight against the other. Their feet slid along the dirty concrete, rough grunts bursting from their chests. Sweat tinged their brows and it was in that moment that Namjoon felt something snap in him. He began laughing uncontrollably, causing Jooheon to frown with confusion.

This was _glorious_.

Suddenly, Namjoon lost himself in the chaos, destruction, and the sheer sweetness of all that was going on around him. The terror filled every fiber of his being until he became completely drunk with the sensation. It took every shred of sanity and willpower he had left to keep himself grounded - removing his mask completely and showing everyone the malintent that was slowly possessing him. The same malevolence that lay dormant in all his brothers.

Lifting his leg up, he thrust his heel into Jooheon’s stomach and forced him back a full foot away. He twirled one of his knives in his hands, spinning on his back heel and grabbing an unsuspecting Jade Fang member in a choke hold. A crazed smile passed over his features as Namjoon slid the blade over the man’s throat. Blood gushed out, staining his front almost immediately. Jooheon roared, raising the bat over his head and Namjoon dropped the dying man from his grasp.

He waited until he saw the bat moving swiftly in a vertical strike, side-stepping at the last second. Namjoon slammed his elbow into Jooheon’s ribs, pressing his hip alongside the other man’s. Taking a breath, he slid the knife underneath Jooheon’s armpit. He heard the _Yellow Jacket_ grunt in pain, feeling his body swing around to try a counter maneuver. Namjoon released his hold on the knife and lifted his arm, blocking the blow that was meant for his head. The muscles in his forearm tingled momentarily and he spun just out of reach, his other hand slamming the blade down at the curve between Jooheon’s neck and shoulder.

Not allowing him a chance to retaliate, Namjoon kicked Jooheon in the back, forcing him onto his knees. He quickly closed the distance, reaching out to grab the knife from his shoulder just as Jooheon pulled out the knife from under his arm. Blood sprayed out onto the concrete and Namjoon already knew the fight was over. The fool was trying to pull off one more desperate counterattack before the Reaper came to collect him.

Namjoon would not give him that satisfaction. 

Sliding on his knees, he stabbed Jooheon’s back multiple times before driving the blade directly into the back of his neck. With one burbling, choking gasp, the _Yellow Jacket_ fell to the ground - a cloud of dust scattering around him.

He heard Hoseok’s screams and Namjoon quickly whirled around in time to see Seokjin falling to the ground. His line of sight shifted to where he could see Minhyuk holding the crossbow. The _Jindo Dog_ was preparing for a second assault. Taehyung held Hoseok back as he tried to scramble to where Seokjin’s body lay, his blood seeping out along the dirty ground.

“HYUNG!”

Namjoon met Taehyung’s gaze. He yanked the knife from the back of Jooheon’s neck and threw it, the blade burying itself into Minhyuk’s forearm and forcing him to drop the crossbow. Taking advantage of the chaos, he ran to Taehyung and Hoseok who was already beginning to lift Seokjin into his arms.

“Hyung,” breathed Taehyung, blinking some of the sweat from his eyes, “where’s Yoongi Hyung?”

“I don’t know.” He bent down to grab Seokjin’s legs. “We need to get him out of here.”

“Go.” Taehyung slung his arms out and two knives fell into his hands from their hiding places under his sleeves. “I’ll find Yoongi Hyung.”

“There’s still three more we need to take down, Taehyung-ah.”

“I know. If I see them, I’ll get rid of them.” Taehyung’s eyes narrowed. “Now go!”

Namjoon nodded, watching Taehyung give chase to Minhyuk as he scooped up the crossbow and ran out of the factory. He looked around, spying the opening near the back where Yoongi caused the explosion. Namjoon snapped his fingers rapidly at Hoseok to get his attention.

“Focus! We don’t have a lot of time.”

He watched his friend gathering his bearings, nodding sharply. “Let’s go.”

Hoseok stepped off to the side but was stopped when Namjoon held his footing. He closed the distance, reaching out to shift Seokjin out of Hoseok’s arms into his own. Grunting, he lifted their brother against his chest. 

“Cover me.”

* * *

Taehyung only let Minhyuk get as far as the rusty barrels several feet outside of the factory before deciding he was done with the chase. He threw the knife in his left hand, aiming for the back of Minhyuk’s leg. He collapsed with a thud and Taehyung was almost on top of him. He skidded to a halt when he saw Minhyuk rolling onto his back, his arms cradling the crossbow with a bolt already loaded into the chamber. Taehyung somersaulted backwards, dodging the bolt by a hair and feeling it knick his ankle. Landing on one knee, he snarled and charged just as Minhyuk scrambled to slide another bolt into the loading chamber.

Stumbling on his left foot, Taehyung felt his body leaning a little to the side but he forced the pain from his mind. He focused on Minhyuk, his speed increasing when he heard the snap of the lock in place on the crossbow. Swinging his right leg out, he knocked the weapon from Minhyuk’s hands. Taehyung’s back leg buckled as Minhyuk swung out his left leg and kicked him behind the knee. His shoulder crashed into the dirt, forcing his other knife from his hand, and he coughed as some of the dust flew into his mouth and nose.

Pain ripped across the back of his head as he felt his hair being pulled, forcing his upper body up. His ears rang and his vision spun when his face smashed into the ground. Arms flailed in every direction, realizing that he was weaponless as Minhyuk repeatedly slammed his face into the dirt. He felt Minhyuk’s weight on his back, preventing him from being able to wriggle free and regain his position.

Swinging his left arm behind him, he felt along Minhyuk’s leg until his fingers touched something hard. Gripping it, Taehyung yanked his arm out - pulling the knife out from his leg. Minhyuk screamed as blood stained the dirt. He momentarily loosened his grip on Taehyung’s hair, giving him room to roll onto his side. He brought the knife down in rapid succession in Minhyuk’s leg, burying it to the hilt into his knee cap. Howling with pain, Minhyuk rolled and slid himself away from Taehyung, shaking hands attempting to pull the knife out of his leg.

Taehyung dragged his body across the dirt, his eyes quickly locating the crossbow. His fingers grappled for the butt of the weapon, pulling it toward him. Once it was fully in his hold, he rolled his body over and set his arms into position just as Minhyuk turned his head to look at him. He aimed and squeezed the trigger.

The bolt flew from the chamber, zipping toward Minhyuk. He let out a wheezing cough as the bolt’s aim was true - making its home in Minhyuk’s right eye socket.

He watched him fall dead instantly. Several seconds of silence passed before Taehyung finally got to his feet. Slowly, he walked toward the _Jindo Dog_’s body and stared down at it. He knew he was dead. Anyone could tell watching the blood seeping from his head into the red puddle around his ears. Leaning down, he fished around the insides of Minhyuk’s jacket, retrieving another bolt and sliding it into the chamber. 

The lock clicked and he fired - the bolt landing in Minhyuk’s throat.

“You don’t get to breathe easy in Hell, you fucking sack of shit…”

* * *

“You’re the last one left, _Jack Rabbit_,” said Yoongi as he smiled, twirling a butterfly knife in his hand.

Wonho smirked as he walked through the reeds. “You sure about that?”

He wasn’t, but who cared?

“Positive.”

Yoongi side-stepped as Wonho charged him, striking out with the large hunting knife cradled in his hands. Wonho was stockier than him and had more muscle, but Yoongi was swifter on his feet. He dodged several more strikes, spinning on his back heel to slam his elbow into Wonho’s side. He stumbled to the right and Yoongi quickly overtook him, jamming the knife into his thigh. He managed to twist the blade before Wonho swung his arm across his body, barely missing as Yoongi hopped backwards.

Again, he lunged forward, giving Wonho no quarter. A jab to the chest pushed him back and Yoongi stepped in, curling his arm so that his elbow struck the same place as his fist. He finished the combo with a knee slamming into his stomach. Wonho stumbled off his feet, landing back-first into the reeds where he was momentarily lost from view. Yoongi swung his arms around in the reeds to locate his target, growling when he realized he couldn’t see him anymore.

Shuffling issued to his flank and he pivoted hard just as Wonho crashed into him. They both fell to the ground and Yoongi immediately covered his face as a flurry of punches rained on top of him. He took a risk, holding one arm up while using the other to repeatedly punch at Wonho’s side. Knuckles smashed into his mouth, splitting his lip. He tasted the coppery tang of his own blood, shifting his neck to the side just as another punch nearly struck him, instead landing in the dirt. Taking advantage of the missed opportunity, Yoongi quickly buried his thumb into the knife wound in Wonho’s thigh.

Wonho cried out in pain, wrapping one large hand around Yoongi’s throat. Pressure built up behind his eyes and his vision blurred momentarily. He crushed more of his thumb into the open wound which, in turn, caused Wonho to squeeze harder. It was getting harder to breathe and with what energy he could muster, Yoongi punched at Wonho’s chest, side and face.

The _Jack Rabbit_ refused to let go.

Twisting his thumb in the wound, he felt his nail scraping against something. For a moment, Wonho’s grip loosened and Yoongi lifted his upper body enough to raise his other arm just a little higher. He jammed his other thumb into Wonho’s eye, feeling the soft ball of flesh burst beneath the pad of his thumb. Blood and puss wept from the socket and a horrifying scream curdled from Wonho’s throat. 

Yoongi felt him rolling off his body, clutching at his eye. He quickly slid behind him, wrapping his arms around him in a firm choke hold. Wonho pried at Yoongi’s arms, trying to free himself, but he held his breath as he squeezed. 

The world shifted as Wonho rose to his feet, bringing Yoongi up with him. He couldn’t let him get the upper hand, and so, with a swift twist and jerk of his arms and wrists, the world fell rapidly as the sickening _crack_ issued from Wonho’s neck. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud and Yoongi rose to his feet, inhaling mouthfuls of air as he attempted to reclaim some semblance of a second wind.

“YOONGI HYUNG!”

Shaking the dizziness from his head, Yoongi looked up as Taehyung ran toward him. He noted the slight limp in his movements and Yoongi stumbled forward. The two men crashed into each other, both of them holding the other up with what strength they had left in their bodies. 

“Taehyung-ah,” he breathed haggardly, “where are the others?”

“They’re at the front with the cars. You need to get to them.”

Yoongi quirked a brow at him. “What about you?”

Taehyung smirked. “I still have something left to do.” He pointed around the side of the building. “Head that way and you should meet up with them.”

He frowned. He knew that look. Taehyung was up to something. But there wasn’t enough time to question just what. “Don’t be a hero.”

He watched his younger brother bark a mirthless laugh. “You have to be a good guy to be a hero, Hyung.”

The two pulled away from each other. Yoongi held his side where it ached, spitting blood at the ground. “Do what you need to do and bring your ass, you hear me?”

“Yes, Sir!”

Taehyung saluted and took off back inside, hobbling through the busted up entrance Yoongi made earlier when he’d thrown his cigarette inside to cause the explosion that started all of this madness.

* * *

Hoseok fished for the keys in his pockets, unlocking the doors to the car he and Seokjin arrived in. Pressing the button on the key fob, he hurriedly threw the door to the backseat open and motioned for Namjoon to hurry. Namjoon busied himself with laying Seokjin’s body across the seat and Hoseok could barely hear the ruckus going on inside the factory still. They couldn’t leave Seokjin’s body to the wolves. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a message from Taehyung.

**Taehyung: **_I’m going to find Yoongi Hyung._****

****

****

“Goddammit, Taehyung-ah,” muttered Hoseok.

Namjoon closed the door, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “What is it?”

“He’s still trying to find Yoongi Hyung…”

“Hyung knows the plan. We need to--”

A loud scream rang out over their heads, causing both men to look up just as Hyungwon came flying out from the other side of the vehicle. He swung the metal bat in his hand, bringing the head of it down violently as it smashed into the back window. Glass rained over their heads and both Hoseok and Namjoon scrambled away in either direction as Hyungwon swung again - just barely missing both of them.

Hoseok rolled to his right as the bat slammed into the space where his body was just occupying. He brought both of his hands up, catching the weapon. Pain blossomed over his palms as he struggled to keep the weapon from pushing down on him further. Hyungwon stumbled over him as Namjoon kicked him from the side. He reached his hand out, grasping for Namjoon as he hefted himself back up onto his feet.

He shoved the keys into Namjoon’s hands. “Go!”

“Not without you!”

Hyungwon roared, swinging out at them both and they arched their backs in time to dodge the blow. 

“Do what I say, Namjoon-ah!”

“No!”

Again, they dodged and Hoseok took the chance to slam his shoulder into Hyungwon’s stomach. Feeling him skid backwards, he coughed in pain when he felt a knee smash into his rib cage. The wind was knocked from his lungs when Hyungwon kneed his ribs again, causing him to lose his grip. Hoseok heard Namjoon scream and the world tilted to the side as both he and Hyungwon crashed to the ground from the powerful sidekick that connected to Hyungwon’s head. They both landed with a hard _thud_ and Hoseok immediately rolled so that Hyungwon’s back was resting against his chest. His hands quickly went to his belt, ripping the leather band from his waist and wrapping it around Hyungwon’s neck.

All Hoseok could see was the bubblegum pink crown of Hyungwon’s head. He wrapped the straps around his palms, pulling tightly. He felt his biceps flexing hard as he mercilessly squeezed and pulled. Hyungwon’s arms flailed and he scraped his fingernails along Hoseok’s wrists. Namjoon brought the bat down on Hyungwon’s stomach, knocking the air from his body and removing what strength he had to fight back. He tried to kick his legs out at Namjoon, but the _Stone Claw_ responded by cracking the bat over his knees. The sound of bones breaking could be heard until Hoseok felt Hyungwon’s struggles weakening with each passing second.

Until they ceased altogether.

“Hoseok-ah...Namjoon-ah,” called a voice from the side of the building. 

Both of them turned to see Yoongi hobbling toward them, cradling his side. Blood leaked from his temple and mouth. Relief washed over Hoseok’s soul as he flashed a weak smile at his older brother.

“Yoongi Hyung…”

Another buzzing sound issued from Hoseok’s pocket and he released the belt, watching Hyungwon’s head sag along his stomach. Again, Namjoon helped him to his feet just as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Yoongi fussed over their injuries as Hoseok looked at the message.

**Taehyung: _Hyung...Take care of Raelyn for me._**

Hoseok’s eyes went wide as he looked back at the factory. “No…”

“What is it?” Yoongi asked, following his gaze.

The three of them only managed to take one step toward the building before it exploded, erupting in orange flames and black smoke.

“TAEHYUNG-AH!”


	61. Come Back Home

_"The thing that was blocking my life  
was my fear of tomorrow."_

After he parted ways with Yoongi, he tore back into the building. A shrill whistle peeled from his teeth and fingers, issuing the signal for the remaining Golden Jackals still standing to vacate the premises. He crossed paths with one of his sentries, Seungi, who handed him a detonator. Taehyung nodded to him, snatching the device from his hands and beelining for the boiler room. He’d already memorized the factory’s layout and knew it wouldn’t take him long to reach it.

When he threw the door open, he grinned widely at the four homemade pipe bombs strapped to the large metal boiler with gaff tape. There was a small clock attached to it, a timer set for ten minutes. He texted Hoseok and started the timer, gripping the detonator in case he would need to trigger the fuses early.

He hurried along from the basement to the main floor. Just as he exited the small underground stairwell, a fist connected with his chest. He stumbled back, nearly losing his footing. The detonator slipped from his grasp but Taehyung spun onto his knees, catching the device in one hand while blocking an ensuing kick to his face with his other forearm.

Growling, Taehyung jumped to his feet. He dodged another blow to his chest, pivoting on his back leg and landing a spinning kick to his assailant’s neck. He fell prone to the ground and Taehyung swung his leg up, crashing the toe of his boot across the man’s face. It didn’t take him long to determine that he was unconscious. He quickly shouted orders, whistling through his teeth again, before clamping the detonator between his lips. He grabbed the man’s ankles and dragged him out of the building from the blast hole Yoongi created earlier.

Golden Jackals yelled for everyone to get away. Whether they chose to listen or not was on them. Taehyung wasn’t about to get himself caught in the blast unnecessarily. The clock was ticking and there wasn’t much time left.

Falling back on his ass, he struggled to sit up as he watched both Jade Fang and Golden Jackal members running through the blast hole. Some jumped through windows and others fought tooth and nail every step of the way, even during such a dangerous situation.

He dropped the device in his lap, pulling out his phone and sending one last text to Hoseok.

Then he jammed his thumb onto the detonator’s button.

He felt heat, smelled smoke, and quickly lost his ability to see when reddish orange flames and black smoke covered the building from top to bottom.

He passed out seconds after hearing his brothers screaming his name.

* * *

Darkness covered everything completely.

Stars littered the cobalt sky above; pinholes in a blanket draped over the moon. A crescent moon.

An acrid smell continued to linger in the air and what little wind was able to brush over the destructive landscape only succeeded in circulating the smell in small cyclones. A few cars remained, but those that were able to escape the blast commandeered a few sedans and fled the scene. What bodies were left behind in the smoking factory would already be cremated. Their bodies would dissolve back into the earth from where they’d come, their spirits long departed for the Underworld. The Reaper was going to be busy tonight.

It was a shame that Taehyung wouldn’t be able to enjoy the spectacle from Hell himself.

He lightly patted the dirt from off his clothes, coughing and sneezing when some of it shot up his nose. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he pulled out a sucker. Ripping off the plastic covering, he sighed and slid the peach-flavored candy into his mouth. As he savored the taste, he leaned back on his hands and stared into the large expanse of sky over his head.

It really was a beautiful night.

Taehyung smiled, then laughed a little out loud. Tears streamed out the corners of his eyes, but he continued to laugh. His shoulders shook violently until he curled his knees up to his chest and sobbed openly into them. Wrapping his arms around his knees, he buried his face into his forearms and wept. Pieces of the building crumbled behind him, but he could barely hear it over his own cries.

The lollipop fell from his mouth, instantly covered in dirt when it hit the ground. Spit and snot dripped from his mouth and nose as his fingers threaded through his bangs. He tugged at them hard, feeling the sharp sting of his roots being pulled. Hoarse noises erupted from him and a horrible ache twisted inside his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. Taehyung tried to rub at his chest, but it did nothing to ease the pain that came with breathing and crying simultaneously.

He mouthed a set of words, but no recognizable sound followed the motion. Rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes, he tried to rid them of the tears but they continued to fall.

Thoughts of Raelyn and their unborn child immediately flooded his mind, causing him to sob even harder. Choking barks of pain were all he could muster while his hand twisted into the fabric of his shirt. He then pounded at his chest, attempting to calm the raging pace of his heart. But nothing worked. Everything hurt. Everything would _continue_ to hurt.

He had no choice now.

With shaking hands, Taehyung pulled out his phone, switching it back on. There was an immediate onslaught of text messages and voicemails. Most of them were from his brothers. The others were from Raelyn.

He ignored them all.

Instead, he swiped over to where his voicemails were, scrolling down to the last message Jimin sent him. Again, he listened to it as he cradled the phone in both of his trembling hands.

_“Ya, Kim Taehyung…you son of a bitch. How could you just take off for the gates of the Underworld alone? Huh? Don’t even think about stirring up a bunch of shit without me. Jungkook and I will be there soon.”_

Another broken sob tore through the night, shaking him to the core. How could he continue living his life knowing that better people were denied that same gift? Their trust in Taehyung was what caused all of this to transpire in the first place. They believed the message that was sent from his phone, trusting that he was giving them the right information. If it weren’t for his own carelessness, his own ego, there was a good chance that his brothers would still be alive. Maybe they would have lost Eden and it would have broken everyone in a different way, but the loss wouldn’t have been this heavy.

It wouldn’t have been this great.

Having a happy life with Raelyn, with their child, was something that he didn’t deserve. Taehyung had no right to experience such joys in this life. He would need to suffer the consequences and make sure that those who remained were able to bask in that bliss.

For now, Taehyung would be selfish one more time, and cry for everything that he was about to lose.

No… For everything he was about _to let go_.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. It was late, whatever the time was. Taehyung switched to the keypad buttons on the phone and hit three numbers.

1.

1.

2.

The line rang twice before someone picked up the phone, asking him what his emergency was.

“My name is Kim Taehyung. I’m currently in Nam District in Itaewon. There is an old factory owned by a man named Im Changkyun. It’s destroyed. I’m the one who did it. There are also dead bodies buried under the wreckage. I killed them.”

A sad smile passed over his lips and he laughed weakly into the receiver.

“Come and arrest me. I’ll be waiting for you.”

After he ended the call, Taehyung turned off his phone and slid it back into his pocket. He gently fell onto his back, hands resting along the back of his head as he stared up at the stars. The crescent moon that hung in the sky really looked like Buddha’s fingernail. Reaching out with his hand, he let his fingers stretch as far as they would go – his palm covering the moon as much as it could.

Then he squeezed his hand into a fist, covering the light of the moon completely from his view.

“I’m sorry, Raelyn Noona…”

Twenty minutes slipped by when Taehyung heard the police sirens. He sat up, his eyes spying out the flashing red and blue lights off in the distance. Grinning, he readjusted himself so that he was pressing his knees to the ground. When the police cruisers skidded to a halt, kicking up more dirt in front of him, Taehyung’s grin eased off just a bit as he slid his hands behind his head.

The cold sting from the handcuffs bit into his skin. His wounds ached as the officers hauled him onto his feet. He didn’t utter a single complaint when they all but threw him into the back of the vehicle.

He only laughed when the officers said he was crazy for turning himself in.

* * *

**_Three Days Later_**__  
Seoul – Cheongdamn; Gangnam District  
South Korea

Hoseok was half a step away from checking himself into a mental hospital.

For nearly twenty-four hours, he believed he’d lost both Seokjin and Taehyung. The proceedings with obtaining Seokjin’s autopsy and death certificate took a bit longer than it had for Jimin, Jungkook and Eden. Mostly because the person who was fattening the police chief’s pockets was now dead. Anastasia was nearly inconsolable but having the support of Seokjin’s family and their son, Gidae, was enough to get her through the worst of her postpartum. When Hoseok couldn’t be there for her, Namjoon was and he remained a rock and shield when she needed him.

Raelyn was another matter.

She believed Taehyung was dead for real. She believed it because _they_ believed it. The level of stress and anxiety she was suffering from was too much for even Hoseok to bear at times. But he remained steadfast, comforting her and reassuring her that things would be fine. They would _be_ okay.

He didn’t tell her about Taehyung’s last text message to him. Until they could uncover a body from the wreckage, there was nothing to rule out.

It was the only sliver of hope they had and they clung onto it together.

Another day slipped by when Hoseok received word that Taehyung was incarcerated at the local police station. While he was being held for questioning, he wasn’t allowed visitors. When Hoseok tried to get a lawyer to represent his brother, he was flabbergasted to hear that the council Taehyung was offered was refused.

From what the defense attorney explained, Taehyung openly admitted to all the charges being placed against him. Arson, destruction of property, and manslaughter. There was the possibility of murder with intent being placed alongside his other charges, but his public defender insisted that the death of everyone inside of the building was from the act of arson and destruction of property done on Taehyung’s part. Until actual autopsies were done and toxicology reports were submitted, Taehyung’s charges stayed with just manslaughter and vandalism.

On the eve of the third day, Taehyung’s trial date was set. Because his case involved manslaughter, he wasn’t allotted the opportunity for bail.

He was finally allowed to visit. Hoseok took Raelyn with him to the station.

The security guard led them to Taehyung’s jail cell where he sat waiting for them. Because he wasn’t sentenced yet, he still wore the clothes he had on from the raid they unleashed at Changkyun’s warehouse. Hoseok resisted the urge to reach through the bars and knock Taehyung’s teeth down his throat. Instead, he chose to hold onto Raelyn’s hand as she squeezed his fingers with an iron grip.

Taehyung looked between the two of them, his eyes lingering at Raelyn’s swollen stomach, before he finally stood up from the floor. Dusting off the backs of his pants, he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. Hoseok couldn’t read the look on his face, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Taehyung was up to something.

_Had he been planning this all along?_

“What are you two doing here?”

Hoseok frowned. “The real question is what the hell do you think you’re doing, Taehyung-ah?”

He lofted one brow; his expression almost bored. “What do you mean?”

“What are you trying to accomplish right now?”

Taehyung shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Taehyung, please,” said Raelyn as she reached toward the bars, “just tell us what’s going on. Why have you done this?”

Her arm slid between the bars and Taehyung immediately backed away from them. Raelyn’s arm lingered in the air and Hoseok had to internally admit to his own shock. This wasn’t like him. And what made it so much worse was that he didn’t appear to be hesitating in his actions.

Raelyn inhaled slowly, her breath shuddering slightly as her arm slid back to rest at her side. “God, you’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

He didn’t respond, continuing to stare at them both with a seemingly dead look in his eyes.

“So you’re just going to stay here? You’re not even going to fight back?” She slammed her hand against the iron bars. “You get sent to prison, and then what? What about our child, Kim Taehyung?!”

“You are not carrying my child.”

Taehyung’s words hit like a bolt of lightning out of the blue. Hoseok couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He cast a sidelong glance toward Raelyn just as tears streamed from her eyes.

“W-What did you just say?”

“_I said_,” Taehyung said, emphasizing the words, “that you’re not carrying _my_ child.”

Hoseok’s arm shot out like a missile, grasping the scruff of Taehyung’s shirt collar. There was movement to his side and Hoseok released him in just enough time to catch Raelyn as she collapsed. Doing his best not to hurt her, he shouted for an officer to help him. Two patrolmen appeared, gathering Raelyn’s weight on either side of them.

He was about to follow when he felt a harsh tug at the sleeve of his jacket. Whirling around, Hoseok roughly knocked Taehyung’s arm away – causing the iron bars of the cell to rattle. He snatched at Taehyung’s collar once more, his vision blurring slightly from how harshly his blood was pumping through his veins.

“Look here, Kim Taehyung, you’re seriously—”

“You’re the father, Hyung.”

Hoseok blinked, his fingers loosening from around Taehyung’s shirt. “…what?”

“Listen to me,” he said, grasping at Hoseok’s hand, “no matter what, _you_ are the father, do you understand?”

“That’s crazy talk, Taehyung-ah!”

“No it’s not!” He could hear the desperation in Taehyung’s voice, a far cry from the empty sounding words he’d heard him spouting earlier. “You know how our society is. It’s bad enough that Raelyn is a foreigner, but add the father of her child being a _murderer_ and you can kiss that baby and the mother’s future goodbye.”

“You haven’t even been sentenced yet,” snapped Hoseok, “there’s still time! Let our attorney help you!”

“If they help me, then we will _all_ have no future.”

Hoseok flashed him a look of confusion, not sure what he was implying. Taehyung seemed to read this and continued.

“I have to take the fall for this, Hyung. Otherwise you, Namjoon Hyung and Yoongi Hyung will all go down with me. If it’s just me, then the rest of you can still live your lives.”

He felt his bottom lip tremble slightly. “I…I can’t ask you to do that. I won’t let you do that!”

“_Yes_, you _will_.” He could feel Taehyung’s grip digging painfully into his wrists. “For the sake of my child’s future, Hyung, you _will_ let me do this.”

“Taehyung-ah…”

“I’m doing this and there isn’t anything you can do to stop me. I can’t be with Raelyn. Not anymore.” Hoseok watched as tears spilled from Taehyung’s eyes. “I know you still love her. You never stopped. But I know you’re an honorable man who decided to let your little brother selfishly claim a nugget of happiness for himself.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened slightly, unable to stop himself from crying. Why was this happening? Hadn’t they won? Hadn’t they achieved their goals and avenged their fallen family? Things were supposed to get easier from here. They could have been had they decided to stay in the criminal underworld after all.

How could they have fallen so far while walking on the path to make things right?

A heavy sigh spilled from his lungs. Taehyung released Hoseok’s hand and it sagged limply at his side.

“…have you picked a name?”

“Mirae,” he whispered softly, “her name will be Mirae.”

Hoseok scoffed, wiping at his cheeks with the back of his hand. “You snuck and asked the doctor for the baby’s gender already, didn’t you?”

He watched his younger brother flash his trademark boxy smile through his tears. “What can I say? I like to be prepared.”

Grasping at his younger brother’s arms, he pulled him toward the bars so that their foreheads were pressed together. The two of them shared a companionable silence before they released one another.

“Thank you, Hoseok Hyung.” Taehyung’s smile remained. “Thank you for letting me do this. For you and for the rest of my family.”

The two men punched fists, the touch lingering a moment longer.

Then Hoseok turned and walked away, leaving a brother and the most noble of men to the fate he’d chosen for himself.


	62. The Most Beautiful Moment In Life

_"I’m asking myself again, am I happy right now?  
The answer is already there, I’m happy."_

** _Five Years Later_ **

_Hwaseong – Gyeonggi Province  
South Korea_

Yoongi sighed softly as he lit the ends of three incense sticks. As they slowly burned a soft amber, he shook the match to extinguish it and placed each one into the brass basins. Three porcelain urns glistened brightly against the morning light – the smiling faces of each urn’s owner looking back at him from behind the glass framing their portraits. He placed his hands together, closing his eyes and saying a small, silent prayer. After a few minutes, he sighed again and sat on the silk cushion he was offered from Jimin’s family.

“Even after all this time, it still doesn’t get any easier,” he said softly, a tiny smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I figured it would.”

He managed a small laugh, shaking his head as he brushed his fingers through his now auburn hair. His earrings dangled from the rays of light that peeled in through the small room, capturing all the precious things that each of them had in their lives before leaving the world. Small pieces of memories that would continue to remain in the world long after their passing.

They served as reminders for Yoongi that things could still be good.

On the wall to the right was a painting of a blue and black spotted butterfly flying through golden reeds and a beautiful clear blue sky. It was the last thing Jungkook painted before leaving Hwaseong to come join them all in Seoul – ultimately leaving his dream of attending art school behind. Hanging on the opposite wall was the rosary and silver crucifix that Jimin always carried with him. He only left it behind once and that was the day that he went with Jungkook to retrieve Eden from her kidnappers.

He looked at Eden’s portrait, centered between Jungkook and Jimin’s. The wedding rings she and Jungkook exchanged with one another were placed on a small, satin pillow. He always made sure they were well-polished, even after all these years.

“I hope you three are happy.” He sighed, folding his hands in his lap. “It’s quieter without you here.”

His vision grew slightly hazy and Yoongi quickly wiped at the backs of his eyes with his wrist. Two sets of feet thundered through the yard, kicking shoes off their feet and barreling into his back. Yoongi smiled as two children, a boy and a girl, roughly grabbed at his shoulders and hugged his neck. He wrapped his arms around them, pulling the girl into his lap and tickling her as the boy clung to his neck and hugged him from behind.

“Okay, maybe I lied,” he said loudly over the high-pitched squeals and giggles, “it hasn’t gotten any quieter.”

The little girl with curly hair smiled up at him, pulling on the collar of his shirt. “_Appa_,” she said, her laughter subsiding, “are you done talking with _Jageun Appa, Sookbu_ and _Sookmo_?”

“Yeah,” said the little boy, rubbing his nose into Yoongi’s temple, “are you done yet?”

“I wasn’t,” he patiently replied, reaching his hand up to ruffle the boy’s hair, “but I can see you two are ready to go. Weren’t you making rice cakes with your grandparents?”

The little girl nodded. “Yeah, but we got bored. They told us to go outside and play.”

He lifted a brow. “They did?”

“That’s ‘cause Eden kept eating them as they were being made.”

The little boy stuck his tongue out.

“Nuh-uh! Jungmin spilled flour all over the floor!”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

Yoongi sucked in air sharply through his teeth, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. They quickly got quiet, knowing that that was his way of telling them to behave. After a moment, he sighed and stood up – Jungmin still clinging to his neck as Eden straightened out her blue sundress. He hopped slightly, wrapping one arm around Jungmin’s leg so he could secure him on his back a little better while using his other free hand to grab a hold of his daughter’s.

He helped them put their shoes on, slipping into his own, and made his way around to the front of the house. Jimin’s parents gave Yoongi a box wrapped in bright green cloth – food to take home with him. Eden happily took the parcel from them, bowing in appreciation. Jungmin nodded his head as Yoongi bowed as well, promising to return next week. They always insisted that he didn’t have to, but he would always make time to come and check on the Park family at every opportunity.

Children ran and played in the streets and there were festive sounds coming from the heart of the square. An entertainment troupe was in town to perform on the streets and sell their wares. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and petals rained over the small town like snow in spring. Eden and Jungmin looked longingly at the festival and he smiled, promising to take them back into town after they put everything away back home.

“Daddy?”

Yoongi hummed as he looked down at Eden. “What is it?”

“When are we going to visit Uncle Tae again?”

He paused slightly, a minor hesitation in his steps before resuming his steady pace. Shortly after Taehyung was sentenced to prison for voluntary manslaughter, Yoongi fell into an unhealthy drinking habit. He frequently went on benders until Namjoon saved him from throwing himself off a building in a drunken haze. He attended a drug rehabilitation facility and after being discharged, he was given the opportunity to make something of himself. Eden’s co-worker, Minki, offered to sell Eden’s shop to Yoongi on the condition that he opened an auto-mechanic shop in Hwaseong. Four months later, he established a list of loyal clientele and decided to find a better purpose.

Yoongi adopted two children that same year. Infants at the time, they were now two very rambunctious four-year-old’s: Min Eden and Min Jungmin.

They were his reason for getting up in the morning. They were his reason for discovering meaning to his life.

His children were his most precious treasures.

Smiling, he shook the hand holding his daughter’s. “Soon. We’ll see him again soon.”

“Is he going to be away from us forever?” Jungmin quietly asked.

Yoongi shook his head. “He won’t, Jungmin-ah. He’ll be able to come out and play with you when you’re both a little older.”

In five more years, to be exact.

“Until then, we just have to keep supporting him. We have to tell him ‘fighting’ every time we see him, okay?”

“Okay!” they said in unison, pumping their fists into the air.

He laughed, doing his best to ignore the soft ache in his chest. Things were getting better. Time would heal all wounds. Even his.

Someday it wouldn’t hurt to think about his brothers and the woman he loved. Until then, all Yoongi could do was look forward to tomorrow – a day that he would never take for granted again.

* * *

“Gidae-ah,” called Anastasia as she stepped out onto the back porch, “not so rough!”

Namjoon smiled as Gidae barreled into him, knocking him onto his back. They shared a loud laugh and he began mercilessly tickling the young boy’s side. The two of them rolled around in the grass until he was fully pinned down by the boy. They laughed again, pausing long enough to look up at Anastasia as she set a tray of refreshments down on the table in the front lawn.

Gidae immediately scrambled off Namjoon, beelining for his mother and hugging her around the waist as she poured iced tea into three glasses. She lovingly ran her fingers through his dark hair, ruffling the fringe around his eyes.

“You’re going to need a haircut soon, young man,” she said with a smile.

Namjoon dusted off the backs of his pants, crossing over to them. “I’ll take him tomorrow,” he said, taking the offered glass of tea.

He planted a gentle kiss on her cheek and she flushed slightly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. He watched her sigh as Gidae slid into one of the chairs and began nibbling on some fruit.

“Are you sure?” she asked, brows furrowing with concern, “won’t you and Hoseok be busy with those foreign investment bankers?”

“It’ll be fine. I can do it during my break.”

Anastasia sighed again. He knew she always worried about him and how he could easily run himself into the ground with work. But Namjoon made a promise to always put his family first, no matter how busy he may have been. It was the very least he could do for his now departed older brother.

For three years, he watched Anastasia struggling with being a single mother. Seokjin’s parents readily accepted her as a member of their family and she took his last name as if it were her own. Soon they weren’t just the grandparents of her son, but her own mother and father. They doted and fussed over her at every given moment, but knew that she couldn’t dwell in the past forever. She was encouraged to go on blind dates and, for a time, she did.

Gidae was still young and didn’t fully understand the loss of his own father due to having father-figures in his life constantly. When Namjoon wasn’t present, Hoseok was around and after Yoongi was discharged from rehab, he was there to support Anastasia with whatever she needed – even bringing his own adopted children to play with her son. But even so, not having a father would eventually start to chip away at Gidae emotionally and he would begin to question things about the world and about himself.

Two years ago, Namjoon decided to take a chance.

It would be a lie to say that he didn’t have affection for Anastasia. In the beginning, he believed it was out of loyalty to Seokjin that he remained close. Over time, however, his loyalty blossomed into actual love for both Anastasia and Gidae. He no longer saw him as his nephew, but as his own son.

After bringing Anastasia home from dinner one night, Gidae accidentally called Namjoon “Dad”, much to their shock. He asked if he was going to be leaving his mother and him alone again.

Months passed and he felt confident enough to say that Anastasia also grew to care for him.

A year later, Namjoon visited Seokjin’s grave. He sat in front of the large mound of grass and stared at the marble headstone from dawn until dusk. Three empty bottles of soju sat beside him and somewhere in those hours, Namjoon laughed as he reminisced over the good and bad times. He spoke about how big Seokjin’s son was growing and how smart he was becoming. And then he cried as he talked about how much _he _ now loved the woman his older brother unwillingly left behind. Namjoon wanted to protect her, cherish her, and help raise his brother’s son as if he were his own.

He then visited Seokjin’s family and asked for their blessing, to which they readily gave. After he informed his own family, Namjoon went to her home that afternoon and asked her to marry him. He was confident that she would say yes, but the elation that swept through him brought on a new sense of purpose and fueled him with determination.

Now, for the past year, the three of them lived together as a true family.

“Wasn’t Raelyn coming by with Mirae today?” he asked suddenly.

Anastasia nodded as she peeled an apple and fed it to Gidae’s waiting mouth. “She and Hoseok were planning to see Taehyung first.”

Namjoon sank into the chair across from her, reaching out to ruffle Gidae’s hair lovingly. “I’m sure they’ll call when they’re on their way. Yoongi Hyung will never let me hear the end of it if we all don’t make it to the festival today. The kids have been talking about it every chance they can get.”

“Fireworks!” Gidae cried while throwing his hands into the air, “I can’t wait to see the fireworks!”

“Me too,” Anastasia said while laughing, “it’s my favorite part.”

A warm feeling washed over Namjoon as he reached across the table to hold his wife’s hand. Their wedding bands glinted in the sunlight and she squeezed his fingers gently. After all the chaos in their lives, they could finally cherish these precious moments. They could try to put the past behind them, but would never forget.

It was a promise they made to each other; one they never intended to break.

* * *

_Gwacheon – Gyeonggi Province_  
_Korea Correctional Service_  
_South Korea_

After the routine frisking and checking ended, they were allowed access to the foggy plastic window that mirrored Taehyung to them. The blue jumpsuit seemed to fit him, reminding Hoseok of the time Taehyung used to work the fields of his family’s orchards. Both Hoseok and Raelyn sat down in visitor chairs and Mirae sat in her mother’s lap. Taehyung flashed them his trademark boxy smile and he gave a playful finger wave at Mirae. She giggled and mimicked his gesture, doing her best to stifle a soft yawn with her other hand.

He could hear Taehyung’s breath through the small holes penetrating the plexiglass. For a while, no one said anything to each other. Hoseok couldn’t imagine what sort of expression he had, but it managed to elicit a smile from his younger brother. The gesture was warm, yet it reflected his exhaustion from years of being behind bars.

“Hey, Hyung.” His voice was deep, the words rumbling in his throat.

“Hey,” Hoseok replied, drumming his fingers against his thigh.

Taehyung turned his head to look at Raelyn. “How’re you doing, Hyungsoo-nim?”

“I’m fine, Doryeon-nim.” She paused, pulling Mirae a little closer. “We’re fine.”

Their gazes lingered on each other a moment longer before Taehyung’s face brightened as he peered at Mirae. “And how’s my favorite niece?”

Hoseok’s brows furrowed as he saw Mirae giggling while waving her arms around playfully. “I’m great, Uncle Tae Tae! We’re going to the festival with Uncle Namjoon and Uncle Yoongi’s families when we go back home.”

“Oh? The festival, huh?” Taehyung smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “I miss food from the festival. The fireworks too.”

“You’ll be able to come when you’re released,” Hoseok offered gently, a reassuring expression painting over his features, “you know it’s a Hwaseong tradition.”

Taehyung averted his gaze momentarily, lacing his fingers together in his lap. “Yeah…”

Raelyn suddenly stood, setting Mirae down so she could stand as well. Turning to Hoseok, she smiled. “I’ll wait for you outside.” Her eyes shifted back to Taehyung. “It was good to see you, Doryeon-nim. Please take care of yourself.”

“You too, Hyungsoo-nim,” he said softly. His gaze lingered over her for a moment before moving to look at Mirae. He beamed at her. “You be good and listen to your parents, Mirae-ah. And stay out of trouble.”

“Kay!” she said, waving back to him happily before leaving the visitor room with her mother.

Hoseok remained seated, peering back at Taehyung for a long moment. Why did it have to be this way? Why had it come down to this? Even after all these years, Hoseok still couldn’t truly accept it in his heart, despite the resolute expression that continued to remain on Taehyung’s face.

“Thank you, Hyung,” he said, causing Hoseok’s shoulders to tense slightly, “Mirae’s so cute.”

“She’s trouble,” Hoseok said while smiling, “just like you.”

Taehyung chuckled. “Let’s hope not.”

“I agree. I’ll see you around, Taehyung-ah. Be healthy.”

Hoseok moved to stand and he saw his younger brother mirror his movements. The two men stood apart from each other, separated by a clear wall. He wanted nothing more than to pull his brother into his arms and hold him – to let him cry and vent his frustrations out. But until he was finally released from prison, he knew that it wouldn’t be possible.

When the time came, he’d be waiting with a block of tofu to shove into his mouth. They would all be waiting.

“Hyung?”

“Yeah?”

“…can I still see her when I get out of this place?” Taehyung’s brows furrowed. “Will you let me do that?”

Hoseok smiled through the onset of tears, a broken laugh all he was able to manage for that second. After he cleared his throat, he reached out and pressed his hand to the glass. Taehyung did the same.

“Of course. We’re family.”

The two brothers shared a glance, tears brimming their eyes, before the guard came and escorted Taehyung out of the visitor’s station. He watched his brother disappear behind the white doors, the sound resembling that of a mausoleum’s doors shutting. After a bit of prodding from a security guard, Hoseok was brought back to the main lobby where Raelyn and Mirae were waiting.

“Daddy!” Mirae said, running toward him and grabbing his hand. She tugged at it, urging him to hurry. “Let’s go, Daddy! We’re going to miss the festival!”

Hoseok laughed, shaking his head a little as Raelyn reached out to wipe at the tears that threatened to fall. She pressed a kiss to his lips, the two of them smiling as Mirae made an “ew” sound below them. They each grabbed ahold of their daughter’s hands, swinging her arms back and forth as they reached the parking lot.

“I love you, Hoseok-ah,” Raelyn said as she met his gaze.

He let go of Mirae’s hand to pull his wife closer to him. He kissed her temple gently, his lips brushing across the shell of her ear. “I love you too, _Choseungdal_,” he whispered, “I love you both.”

As they parted, they laughed happily as Mirae fussed over them being gross. Their daughter ran and they gave chase, taking a moment to bask in the joy that followed the aftermath of their stormy lives. It was a hard road they’d traveled. But now there would only be wonderful days ahead. In time, they would be able to look at the past and learn from the good and bad moments.

But right now, this was the most beautiful moment in life.


	63. Epilogue: Definition of a Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. This is the end. It's been a long journey and I'm happy to have taken it with you all. Thank you for all the love, support, and energy everyone has given me throughout the course of this series. You guys are amazing and I look forward to seeing you in the next story!

** _Five Years Later_ **

_"Okay, I think that's a wrap guys."_

Taehyung slid the headphones off his head, smiling as he waved a drumstick at the mixers and producers in the booth. The other members of the indie band he was currently working for, _The Cataclysm_, let their headphones rest around their necks while pulling off their instruments to set them on their respective stands. They were all complaining about having been stuck in the studio for the past six days, sometimes sleeping in the recording booth for half an hour at best. It was about time they got to call it quits.

Pulling out his cell, he saw that he had a few missed calls from Yoongi, Namjoon, Hoseok and Anastasia. Yoongi reassured him that the call was nothing important, just checking in. Namjoon was calling to confirm dinner plans for the evening at the house and Anastasia was doing the same. Hoseok left a voicemail saying that he was going to be a little late that evening working on a project but that he'd be getting Mirae from Yoongi's to take her to Namjoon's house once they finished up at the skatepark. 

Noting that it hadn't been that long since Hoseok called, he dialed his brother back and waited for him to answer - a soft smile gracing his lips as he waved goodbye to his other bandmates. "Hey, you haven't made it to Namjoon Hyung's yet, have you?" Hearing the negative, he slid his drumsticks into his bag, zipping the pack up and slinging one of the straps across his shoulder. "You can bring Mirae to the studio if you want before heading back to work. She can hang out with me for a bit until we all head to the house."

He heard the slightly hesitant response from Hoseok. After reassuring him that he was done with studio work for the night, Taehyung smiled at Mirae's voice on the other line saying she wanted to go to Namjoon and Anastasia’s with her Uncle Tae Tae. There was some banter between the two, all in good fun, before Hoseok hung up saying that he would drop her off. All Taehyung had to do now was wait.

Once he'd gathered up his remaining things, he made his way to the lobby just as the door to the studio swung open and Mirae ran inside with her backpack and skateboard. She spotted Taehyung and waved her hand erratically - her smile growing steadily larger.

He still couldn’t wrap his head around it being ten years since she was born.

Taehyung smiled, kneeling down as the young girl all but flew into his arms. He held his “niece” warmly in his arms, cradling the back of her head. "Hey there, _Agassi_!" Pulling her away so he could look into the young girl's face, he chuckled. "You have fun at the skate park with your Papa and Uncle Yoongi?"

Mirae gave a swift nod. "Yeah! Uncle does some of the coolest tricks ever! He says when I get bigger, he'll teach me everything he knows."

"Oh yeah?" Taehyung held his hand out so he could take Mirae's into his own. 

The two of them chatted about random things as they headed out of the studio. They spoke about what their plans were for summer vacation - to hit the beaches in Busan and see all of the sights and then some. Maybe even a trip to the States or Japan when the time permitted it. Hoseok was playing catch up behind Namjoon and fervently working on a few projects when he could. Summer was a time to reflect, but also a time to bask in the joys of the present.

There was so much time he had to make up for. Time he would _continue_ to make up for.

Hailing for a cab, Taehyung ushered Mirae to clamber inside so they could head to Namjoon and Anastasia’s house. It was strange, really, that he was no longer living in a house with all the others like he had been when they resided in Seoul. After everything that transpired, after so much loss and suffering, time really _did_ manage to heal old wounds. The loss of Seokjin, Jimin, Jungkook and Eden didn’t hurt as badly as it once did so many years ago. Even Taehyung’s time spent in incarceration felt like little more than a blur. He was older, wiser, and far more humble than he’d ever been in his entire life. Everyone had their own families and were doing their best to pick up the pieces of their broken lives. 

The hardest part for Taehyung these days was forcing himself to see Mirae as his niece and _not_ his daughter. 

While Mirae didn’t mention anything aloud, Taehyung and Hoseok both sensed a certain level of apprehension from her a few days prior. The aura may have ebbed some since his visit to Jimin's home, but there was always a bit of hesitation here and there. Taehyung decided to let her work out her own dreads and if he needed to help her through them, he would do so without question. Mirae became his world and, as such, he would do anything for the child. There were many things that she didn't understand and while he may not have had all the answers, he would do his best to give her what answers he could.

Soon they arrived at Namjoon’s home and Taehyung paid the cabby. Letting Mirae get out first, they waited for the cab to leave before making their way up the winding pathway to the house. Anastasia was preparing a huge Parents’ Day feast for the important people in her life (who hadn't made previous plans already with their own families) and Taehyung could never turn down a home cooked meal from his sister-in-law. Raelyn was already there to help with whatever she could in the kitchen. 

Just before they were about to make their way up the steps, Mirae stopped and grabbed onto the hem of Taehyung's shirt. Pausing before taking another step, he looked down at her and saw her eyes were downcast.

He turned, squatting down in front of Mirae as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's up, Agassi?"

Mirae bit her lower lip, not sure if she wanted to continue or just ignore the feeling eating at her and go inside. Taehyung remained silent, knowing that she would divulge her thoughts when she was ready. It didn't take long, as he'd predicted. 

"Today is Parents’ Day and I made you a card." Watching her fish into her bag, Mirae pulled out the soft yellow envelope, handing it to Taehyung and the older man took it with a smile - the large letters of his name scrawled across the front in a charming adolescent flourish. Looking up at Mirae, he was about to thank her when he saw that his niece was still fighting with something. "Uncle Yoongi told me that Parents’ Day isn't just for fathers and mothers, but for men and women that we look up to, respect and care about. It’s about the people who are important to us...and stuff. And I know I didn't get you anything last year for Parents’ Day, but a lot of stuff was going on and--"

"Mirae-ah, it's okay. I know what was happening then and it's fine. I promise."

Mirae nodded, blowing air out of her mouth as she had a look that clearly screamed she was trying to think of what she wanted to say next. Or how she should word it. Her face was like an open book, it was almost funny sometimes. 

"...well, I know that you're really important to me and this dumb kid, Chansoo, said you can't be like a dad because I already have a dad and since you’re my uncle, you can't ever be my dad but Uncle Yoongi said that kinda thing doesn't define a father so I can have as many dads as I want and...and..."

Taehyung reached out, pulling Mirae into a hug because he knew the girl's tears were probably threatening to spill out at any given moment. She trembled slightly in his arms and he held tighter onto her, cradling the back of her head as he felt Mirae’s smaller hands grasping at his shoulder blades. But, truth be told, Taehyung was doing this to hold his own emotions in check. He’d honestly been concerned that Mirae, while a good and compassionate kid who always showed him affection, did not wish to fully open up to him because of this same conflict. It was a subject that he feared would always bring his daughter heartache and so he always left it alone - believing that Hoseok and Raelyn would remedy the hesitation in their daughter's heart.

Because Taehyung could never tell her that she was, in fact, _his_ daughter.

Once the girl's trembling ceased, Taehyung pulled Mirae away from him for a moment and smiled while wiping his thumb across her cheek to get rid of the stray tear that managed to escape. Mirae sniffled, rubbing a fist into her other eye as she looked back at Taehyung. 

"Even if you never called me like that, I've always considered myself one of your dads. You're Hoseok Hyung’s daughter and so that makes you like _my_ daughter. Got it?" The young girl nodded again and Taehyung chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled Mirae into another hug, patting her back in a soothing fashion. "So whenever you're ready, you can call me what you want or just keep calling me Uncle Tae Tae. It won't change how I feel about you and how you'll always be both my niece _and_ my daughter."

Leaning back a bit, he watched as Mirae seemed almost torn between emotions. But relief soon visibly swept through her and she smiled brightly. Taehyung stood, rubbing his palms across the thighs of his jeans and the two of them made their way up the steps of the verandah. 

Just as they rang the doorbell, Mirae pulled on Taehyung's sleeve to get his attention once more. "Say...Uncle Tae Tae?" Taehyung quipped a brow and looked at the young girl, smirking - a silent nudge for her to continue. "Has Papa said anything to you about me getting married? Because I don't think I'm ready for that kinda thing. He said he's picked out my groom and everything."

Taehyung blinked for a moment, words and thoughts completely knocked out of his mouth and head, before he realized what she was referring to. Sputtering for a moment, he then laughed outright and shook his head, placing his hand atop Mirae's head and ruffling her hair some. "I wouldn't really worry about that kind of talk just yet, Agassi. Your Papa likes to jump the gun...a _lot_."

The girl nodded in understanding, or at least that's what Taehyung assumed. But the older man knew that Mirae didn't have any idea just what lay in store for her in the coming years. She had no idea at all, but that was what made the future worth looking forward to. 

Surely there would be plenty of happy days like this to come.

Because now he had the time.

**F I N**


End file.
